carving purple heart - Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Message Board

firewalker · 11-20-2003, 05:58 PM

Have any of you ever carved purple heart. I've heard it is highly toxic and very hard to carve with hand tools.

Bandaid · 11-21-2003, 03:03 PM

Hi firewalker...I made a couple of game boards out of purple heart. Didn't try carving it but it was one of the hardest woods I've ever worked with. I understand at one time it was used for ship masts so that gives you some idea of its strength.
I don't have a reference but maybe some of the other members could suggest a site to check the level of toxicity. I made sure to take the usual precautions to avoid breathing the dust, e.g. face mask.

11-22-2003, 02:48 PM

I'm right there with Bandaid - have made a couple projects out of it but never carved it. Was thinking about it until after the first project was done. Hard stuff, right up there with osage orange, maybe harder.

11-20-2003, 05:58 PM	#1
firewalker Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Posts: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	carving purple heart Have any of you ever carved purple heart. I've heard it is highly toxic and very hard to carve with hand tools.

11-21-2003, 03:03 PM	#2
Bandaid Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Posts: 91 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: carving purple heart Hi firewalker...I made a couple of game boards out of purple heart. Didn't try carving it but it was one of the hardest woods I've ever worked with. I understand at one time it was used for ship masts so that gives you some idea of its strength. I don't have a reference but maybe some of the other members could suggest a site to check the level of toxicity. I made sure to take the usual precautions to avoid breathing the dust, e.g. face mask.

11-22-2003, 02:48 PM	#3
plain_ol_ed Guest Posts: n/a	Re: carving purple heart I'm right there with Bandaid - have made a couple projects out of it but never carved it. Was thinking about it until after the first project was done. Hard stuff, right up there with osage orange, maybe harder.

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