I've been rasping away on a riser made from purple heart, and I don't know what's wrong but it stinks like a rotting carp carcass.  Ever had that happen?

Never had the smell, but it has ruined every blade it has ever touched around my shop. That is why I hate PH

I've never had purpleheart smell like that but shedua sure smells like a pig farm.

rancid (oxidized) oils?

The Red Elm I've been working with also smells like a pig pen.

I re sharpen all my own band saw blades and it eats up that purple heart like nobody's business.  I don't notice the stink as much once I got to sanding.

It smells like urine everytime I use it Mike. Kinda like oak can smell. I chalk it up to hazards of the hobby.

This was the first stinkin' piece I've had.  In the past I didn't notice it.

Maybe you smelt so bad in the past you couldn't notice it.     maybe more regular showers    
I try to bath at least everytime it rains, sometimes more often like when swimming in local creeks and ponds. Hope that helps.

Dave,
It doesn't rain very often here in south Idaho so we take our baths in the irrigation ditch. Unfortunately they only have water in them 3 months of the year.

Mike,
You might want to spray an extra sealer coat on that riser. If it smells like a carp carcass you could get charged with bear baiting.

PH definitely stinks more often than not-it has a natural bug repellant in the cells.

That's weird.  I've had red oak small like an auction barn, but not purple heart.  Of course I generally avoid PH because of it's difficulty to work with.  Hopefully you'll put a good seal on it later so it doesn't attract flies.

I always  thought the purpleheart I have worked with smelled good. I kind of enjoy it. But then maybe my smeller is just different. LOL
Shedua sure stinks though. Got to agree with that one.
God bless you all,
Steve

The only wood I've worked with that stank was red oak, and it only stank some of the time.  I didn't like the smell of walnut when I first started using it, but it grew on me.  I like the smell of most woods.  Bocote smells like roses, but I'm allergic to it.  Padauk smells good, too.  And of course everybody likes cedar!  I like the smell of Osage, too.  Maple smells like syrup.  Mesquite has a smell that makes me think of water for some reason.  Zebrawood doesn't have much smell at all to me.  Hickory has a pleasant smell, but it's not very strong.  I also like the smell of ipe and cocobola.