Rare wood?

hotdogg

hotdogg

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
How difficult is it to find curly purpleheart? Is it easy to come by or is it one of those woods that just pop up once in a while? Is it expensive? What characteristics of curly purpleheart are different than that of it's straight grain counterpart? Is it more/less dense? Is it more/less liable to warp (than straight grain purple)? Does it have a better hit(tonal quality)? If you had a nice piece of curly purple, what kind of cue would you make from it (i.e. wood combination, points or no points, forearm or handle, wrap or no wrap, etc.)?
 
I just sold a Sneely pete with curly purpleheart. Didn't even know it was curly until I started turning it down. I couldn't tell any differance between it and regular purple heart as far as hit and weight. Shur looks good though.
Chris
 
In the time I've been shopping for woods to build cues I've found one piece of curly purpleheart...it wasn't tight curly like in maple but it was a nice looking wood and not to costly as I recall.....
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I have a bunch of curly purpleheart squares.
Will never sell them. They are harder to find than good snakewood.
 
???

hotdogg said:
How difficult is it to find curly purpleheart? Is it easy to come by or is it one of those woods that just pop up once in a while? Is it expensive? What characteristics of curly purpleheart are different than that of it's straight grain counterpart? Is it more/less dense? Is it more/less liable to warp (than straight grain purple)? Does it have a better hit(tonal quality)? If you had a nice piece of curly purple, what kind of cue would you make from it (i.e. wood combination, points or no points, forearm or handle, wrap or no wrap, etc.)?
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Interesting questions. Hopefully someone has answers for at least most of them.

Gene
 
Yeah, most of the people (and/or cuemakers) on this forum are very helpful. Some of the questions have been indirectly answered already. Showboat and Joey pretty much stated that it's pretty darn hard to find curly purple. I'm just really interested in this wood b/c I'm getting a cue made that has a curly purple forearm/buttsleeve and curly maple handle. Does anyone know what weight range that would fall in w/o coring the wood? Thanks guys, I appreciate all the informative replies.
 
weight?

Maybe 18-19 oz with phenolic joint and 3/8 10, It would add an ounce for SS joint and an insert. A lot of variables though in the density of woods, even a shaft can vary by 2 ounces easy.
 
hotdogg said:
Yeah, most of the people (and/or cuemakers) on this forum are very helpful. Some of the questions have been indirectly answered already. Showboat and Joey pretty much stated that it's pretty darn hard to find curly purple. I'm just really interested in this wood b/c I'm getting a cue made that has a curly purple forearm/buttsleeve and curly maple handle. Does anyone know what weight range that would fall in w/o coring the wood? Thanks guys, I appreciate all the informative replies.
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http://www.gilmerwood.com/photo html/05-11-04w3236.htm

Lisa
 
JoeyInCali said:
I have a bunch of curly purpleheart squares.
Will never sell them. They are harder to find than good snakewood.
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I have a little less than a bunch, and not as tight curl as Joey's, but still nice figure. I would be hard pressed to sell them also as nice ones don't show up very often and they are quickly sold.
Kelly
 
I got lucky finding curly purpleheart. Took a chance and bought some purpleheart wood on e-bay, and i got 2, 2 1/4"x10x20'' boards:) . Murder on the planer, and saw blades though. Gilmer wood usually has some, but they don't give it away.


Rodney
 
Rodney said:
I got lucky finding curly purpleheart. Took a chance and bought some purpleheart wood on e-bay, and i got 2, 2 1/4"x10x20'' boards:) . Murder on the planer, and saw blades though. Gilmer wood usually has some, but they don't give it away.


Rodney
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So are you saying that it is harder (maybe denser) than a piece of straight grain purple?
 
hotdogg said:
So are you saying that it is harder (maybe denser) than a piece of straight grain purple?
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I doubt he is saying that. Mine do not seem to be harder than unfigured. Purpleheart is rather hard to begin with.
Kelly
 
Kelly_Guy said:
I doubt he is saying that. Mine do not seem to be harder than unfigured. Purpleheart is rather hard to begin with.
Kelly
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Oh ok thanks for clarifying that. Would it be possible to post maybe a makeshift spectrum of wood hardness relative to purpleheart? Much thanks for the great input.
 
hotdogg said:
So are you saying that it is harder (maybe denser) than a piece of straight grain purple?
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The 2 curly boards seem to be harder than my other stock, but I really don't know if it's just coincidence or if it's because it's curly.
 
Rodney said:
The 2 curly boards seem to be harder than my other stock, but I really don't know if it's just coincidence or if it's because it's curly.
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Well it sounds like you got some nice wood there. ;)
 
hotdogg said:
Oh ok thanks for clarifying that. Would it be possible to post maybe a makeshift spectrum of wood hardness relative to purpleheart? Much thanks for the great input.
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Search the internet for janka and purpleheart. Janka is a standard rating for hardness of wood.
 
Kelly_Guy said:
Search the internet for janka and purpleheart. Janka is a standard rating for hardness of wood.
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Wow, I just learned something new, thanks Kelly_Guy. Hmm, so it says on one of the sites that purpleheart has a janka range from 1,860 lbs to 3,920 lbs. Which according to the scale is considered hard.
 
hotdogg said:
Wow, I just learned something new, thanks Kelly_Guy. Hmm, so it says on one of the sites that purpleheart has a janka range from 1,860 lbs to 3,920 lbs. Which according to the scale is considered hard.
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Find another site. That range is too wide for purpleheart. All wood is wood and specific measurements on pieces of wood will vary, but solid cue quality material of the same species shouldn't vary that much. Actually, the 3920 may have been a side hardness number. You should just stick to the more common number for comparisons.

For a comparison, hard maple is around 1500. Hard maple is pretty hard, no pun intended. Credible purpleheart numbers are like 1850 to 2100. Pines are like 350 to 700. Bloodwood is 2900.

I was once involved in martial arts. I got into board breaking a little. Eastern white pine is 380, which is mostly what you see getting broken. If Purpleheart was used instead it would be called bone breaking...
Kelly
 
Kelly_Guy said:
Find another site. That range is too wide for purpleheart. All wood is wood and specific measurements on pieces of wood will vary, but solid cue quality material of the same species shouldn't vary that much. Actually, the 3920 may have been a side hardness number. You should just stick to the more common number for comparisons.

For a comparison, hard maple is around 1500. Hard maple is pretty hard, no pun intended. Credible purpleheart numbers are like 1850 to 2100. Pines are like 350 to 700. Bloodwood is 2900.

I was once involved in martial arts. I got into board breaking a little. Eastern white pine is 380, which is mostly what you see getting broken. If Purpleheart was used instead it would be called bone breaking...
Kelly
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I don't know anything about hardness tests are the number meanings between one wood and another other than the higher the number, the harder the wood. I do know, however, that Purple heart really varies in hardness, weight and color from board to board. I've generally found that the heavier it is then the deeper shade of purple can be obtained in the finished cue.

Dick
 
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