PDIB's Making MODs!

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glassgal

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I have 2 purple heart mods, and the color IS purple... but from everything I have read, it will eventually turn brown. The grain isn't all that great, looks cracky, and just overall doesn't seem like a great idea for long-term because the claim to fame is the color, and the color doesn't last.

Mine isn't figured tho, I think a dyed/stabilized purple may be a better bet than actual purple heart wood ... but if you keep it UV protected, I'm sure it will last years before turning brown.

I love purple! Enough to buy 2 wood mods w/ purple heart ... but they definitely sound better than they look...

Well, judge for yourself... (I'll remove the pix if pdib minds my posting them, but neither are bottom feeders).

This new one has fresh purple heart side panels, with figured cocobola (rosewood) center panels and top, so you can compare colors and grain (cocobola = incredible grain w/ purples and red colors too, purple heart = plywood grain):
DSC00893414x640_zps7a276b41.jpg


On right- few years old purple heart & bocote - (was a trade, so is a few years old purple heart):
IMG_20140607_181031.jpg
 
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2pak2zero

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I have 2 purple heart mods, and the color IS purple... but from everything I have read, it will eventually turn brown. The grain isn't all that great, looks cracky, and just overall doesn't seem like a great idea for long-term because the claim to fame is the color, and the color doesn't last.

Mine isn't figured tho, I think a dyed/stabilized purple may be a better bet than actual purple heart wood ... but if you keep it UV protected, I'm sure it will last years before turning brown.

I love purple! Enough to buy 2 wood mods w/ purple heart ... but they definitely sound better than they look...

Party pooper!

Thanks for the heads up though. Something to consider.
 

pdib

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I have 2 purple heart mods, and the color IS purple... but from everything I have read, it will eventually turn brown. The grain isn't all that great, looks cracky, and just overall doesn't seem like a great idea for long-term because the claim to fame is the color, and the color doesn't last.

Mine isn't figured tho, I think a dyed/stabilized purple may be a better bet than actual purple heart wood ... but if you keep it UV protected, I'm sure it will last years before turning brown.

I love purple! Enough to buy 2 wood mods w/ purple heart ... but they definitely sound better than they look...


she's onto something(s).
 
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IMEDICx90

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I have 2 purple heart mods, and the color IS purple... but from everything I have read, it will eventually turn brown. The grain isn't all that great, looks cracky, and just overall doesn't seem like a great idea for long-term because the claim to fame is the color, and the color doesn't last.

Mine isn't figured tho, I think a dyed/stabilized purple may be a better bet than actual purple heart wood ... but if you keep it UV protected, I'm sure it will last years before turning brown.

I love purple! Enough to buy 2 wood mods w/ purple heart ... but they definitely sound better than they look...

I have had this mod holder since I started vaping a little over a year ago and it's just as purple as when I bought it. The grain itself looks fabulous on my piece and I love the look. I feel like I would still push on with the purple heart dibi(possible twins) even with the chance it would fade. I know the guy who made this said that the purple only comes out when heat is applied and then it is sealed. So I'm sure with peters process it would accomplish the same thing, just in mod form. :)
 

glassgal

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I have had this mod holder since I started vaping a little over a year ago and it's just as purple as when I bought it. The grain itself looks fabulous on my piece and I love the look. I feel like I would still push on with the purple heart dibi(possible twins) even with the chance it would fade. I know the guy who made this said that the purple only comes out when heat is applied and then it is sealed. So I'm sure with peters process it would accomplish the same thing, just in mod form. :)

I was pretty gaga about purple heart at first too... but it's only OK... look at my pix of the mods (in case someone takes them out). Just my opinion that it's not a good enough wood to make a dibi from...
 

Dan Knight

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I have had this mod holder since I started vaping a little over a year ago and it's just as purple as when I bought it. The grain itself looks fabulous on my piece and I love the look. I feel like I would still push on with the purple heart dibi(possible twins) even with the chance it would fade. I know the guy who made this said that the purple only comes out when heat is applied and then it is sealed. So I'm sure with peters process it would accomplish the same thing, just in mod form. :)

Ahh, but you don't take the mod holder out in the sun. It's UV that causes the color to change to brown.

From the WikiPedia article on Purple Heart wood:
"Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light darkens the wood to a brown color with a slight hue of the original purple. The longer the wood is exposed to UV lights (sunlight), the colour of purple slowly changes from a light purple to a substantially chocolate-purple colour.[3] This effect can be minimized with a finish containing a UV inhibitor."
 

IMEDICx90

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I was pretty gaga about purple heart at first too... but it's only OK... look at my pix of the mods (in case someone takes them out). Just my opinion that it's not a good enough wood to make a dibi from...

Lol I saw them and the cocobola wood is beautiful too, but I have a mod holder, and a guitar with Purple Heart, so I think I'll still push on, but if 22 doesn't want to that's understandable. I think if I found plywood thick enough, peter could make it stunning, but the real beauty of these mods isn't the wood, or that peter does them so well, it's that it is exactly what YOU want. He isn't afraid to try something, and in the chance the old doesn't hold up, he will allow you try something else without any repercussions. So I do genuinely appreciate your input with the Purple Heart, but I do believe I'll keep the idea on track and make a go of it. Who knows, it might be the best, it might be the worst, but it will be mine, exactly as I wanted it, and I will love it just as much as my first dibi.
 

IMEDICx90

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Ahh, but you don't take the mod holder out in the sun. It's UV that causes the color to change to brown.

From the WikiPedia article on Purple Heart wood:
"Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light darkens the wood to a brown color with a slight hue of the original purple. The longer the wood is exposed to UV lights (sunlight), the colour of purple slowly changes from a light purple to a substantially chocolate-purple colour.[3] This effect can be minimized with a finish containing a UV inhibitor."

True, but I don't see why the aged look is any worse then the original look. Brass doesn't stay shiny without a polish, or clear coat, copper tarnishes just as well, but some people like them regardless of the maintenance or sacrifices, and some even force a patina on them.

Thanks for the article though dk! I'll keep that in the back of my mind. :)
 

glassgal

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Lol I saw them and the cocobola wood is beautiful too, but I have a mod holder, and a guitar with Purple Heart, so I think I'll still push on, but if 22 doesn't want to that's understandable. I think if I found plywood thick enough, peter could make it stunning, but the real beauty of these mods isn't the wood, or that peter does them so well, it's that it is exactly what YOU want. He isn't afraid to try something, and in the chance the old doesn't hold up, he will allow you try something else without any repercussions. So I do genuinely appreciate your input with the Purple Heart, but I do believe I'll keep the idea on track and make a go of it. Who knows, it might be the best, it might be the worst, but it will be mine, exactly as I wanted it, and I will love it just as much as my first dibi.

You could just keep it indoors with your mod holder too:).
 

Dan Knight

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True, but I don't see why the aged look is any worse then the original look. Brass doesn't stay shiny without a polish, or clear coat, copper tarnishes just as well, but some people like them regardless of the maintenance or sacrifices, and some even force a patina on them.

Thanks for the article though dk! I'll keep that in the back of my mind. :)

And I can understand your position. Just want you to make an informed decision. The article does say that it's a slow process. It's not like it's going to go from purple to chocolate brown at the first sign of UV light. :)
 

Dan Knight

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I'm curious about your purple heart guitar... are you sure it's actual purple heart wood... or is it a dyed/stabilized purple wood? Because the 2 are different, and that is a VERY easy purple color to dye, and that dye would never fade either.

That's one of the primary uses of purple heart wood; inlays on guitars. Not a lot of exposure to UV for most guitars either.
 

IMEDICx90

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I'm curious about your purple heart guitar... are you sure it's actual purple heart wood... or is it a dyed/stabilized purple wood? Because the 2 are different, and that is a VERY easy purple color to dye, and that dye would never fade either.

No it's Purple Heart wood but it was finished with a blue dye(after the maple top was put in place) and it give a nice contrast on the back. But it is not purple anymore, they used purple heart just for contrast and tonality.
 

pdib

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So, I've worked with Purpleheart a little. I made an electric bass out of it about 10-15 years ago. It's still purple. It almost never sees sunlight, and it's finished with a lacquer based finish. (two important things for keeping purpleness)

btw: what color is a burp?



burple





There's two things I'd like to say about choosing Purpleheart for a mod (that I make).

One is that it will, eventually, go brown. (I can't won't use lacquer based finishes on the mods for a number of reasons, and although the CA does a better job of UV and oxygen protection than oil based finishes do, it will lose in the end.) How long? 6 mo. - 5 yrs., depending on how protected the mod is.

The other is that it's pretty straight in the grain. It should be fine for a mod; stronger than some, not as strong as others. But, it's going to be a "B-" for strength on the squonk hole lip (on account of the straight grain = vertical lines of weakness between lines of strength).

It'll be fine.
 
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