: Hey Todd, I used purpleheart for a keel strip, stems and bow/stern deck
: center lines on my double paddle canoe. I wound up ripping the stuff to
: about 3/32 to get it to bend over the stems. I also made the keel strip
: narrow.....about 1/2". If your curves aren't too bad, you should be
: able to make the strips conform, if you use narrow strips. Good advice
: here on the other posts. Take care if you use staples to hold the
: strips....this stuff is rock hard, and those narrow strips might tend to
: split. Leave the sanded purpleheart exposed for a bit before you
: 'glass.....I was told that sunlight will help to give the freshly sanded
: wood back its nice purple color. My accents turned out nicely.....very
: dark purple under the epoxy. I'm well pleased with the results, but it was
: not without some frustration........as in...bend, bend, bend....CRACK!!!
: Have a seat in the moaning chair, rip it thinner and give it another
: go..... garland

Garland or anyone: Have you tried steaming it via Spidey's method (damp cloth and hot iron) or in a home made Steam-Tube? If so, did it make a significant difference? I've played with steaming oak, birch, alder, and walnut(difficult) for some furniture in the past. I was wondering if the density or oiliness of the Purpleheart would affect the steaming process.

Rehd