# Purpleheart. (Very Brittle).



## bigsky65 (Jan 4, 2012)

My first time using purpleheart to make some nice cutting boards I found out that even though this beautiful and very dense wood is strong and heavy, it is also very brittle when planing or routering especially when making recesses.


----------



## Paul Sonnichsen (Oct 3, 2010)

Very nice design. Is that veneer or is it like a butcher block design? Did you have problems with the band saw blade getting dulled by the cutting of the purple heart? Thanks Paul


----------



## vikingcraftsman (Mar 31, 2006)

Yes very nice indeed. Purple hart is so dense sometimes my tools will grab it and through it. I have learned to us clamps when ever the piece gets small enough that I don't feel safe any more. I need all my fingers.


----------



## bigsky65 (Jan 4, 2012)

It is solid 1-5/8 thick x 13"W x 18"L.


----------



## Lee Brubaker (Jan 30, 2006)

An example of purple heart brittle....after planing several 3/4" thick boards, I noticed later that the planer was turning out cupped boards. Examination of the cutter rotor found a thin splinter of purple heart driven in under one of the 13" blades. Hasn't happened again but it was annoying enough the first and only time.

Lee


----------



## MEBCWD (Jan 14, 2012)

Hi Brent,
Nice work!
I like the fact you used the knot holes and tight end grain pieces in the build up, it gives it character that it might not have had.
Purpleheart will definitely dull even the best of bits.

thanks for the picture,
Mike


----------



## Bob in St. Louis (Jan 24, 2012)

Wow, very cool.
What type of (food grade) adhesive do you use?
Making cutting boards is on my short list of things I'd like to accomplish, and I doubt Titebond II would be the right tool for the job.

Bob


----------



## bigsky65 (Jan 4, 2012)

Bob,
I use Titebond III because it's Waterproof. Titebond II is also sufficient as nobody in their right mind would put their cutting board in the dishwasher.


----------

