<html> <body> You're welcome, Jim. Glad the beeswax did the trick! Sometimes my fingers get a little hot and bothered by all the rubbing, but it doesn't last, and the beeswax effect does. The beeswax has gotten two pianists very happy (the second overcame his doubts after the first raved about my beeswax to him), both times just a few minutes before concerts. They are SO relieved when they've been fighting slickness to feel some grip under their fingertips. It seems equally good on ivory or plastic keytops. It's something I can do to concert rental pianos, too, since with careful rubbing there's no way to tell I've been there. One can be quite subtle about it, doing just enough for the artist, but not enough to attract the attention of any "piano police". I'm not partial to hairspray or sandpaper -- I imagine one leaving nasty lacquer on the keys, and the other scratching the ivory - and ivory is too nice to mess up, especially these days. Best, Sssssnnn <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite=""> Thanks Susan!   I had some beeswax here and it worked well. You’re right about “varying amounts”. From “still a bit slick” to a regular flytrap… He’s going to try it out tomorrow.   I tried some hairspray (on a different piano) and it didn’t seem to do much. Maybe the brand isn’t right. I’ve heard some pianists spray their fingers with it.   Regards, Jim   <hr> <div align="center"></div> From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [<a href="mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org" eudora="autourl"> mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org</a>] On Behalf Of Susan Kline Sent: Monday, November 12, 2007 3:58 PM To: College and University Technicians Subject: Re: [CAUT] slick keytops   What I do (adapting an idea from Steve Brady) is to take a real beeswax candle, and make a short mark on each key, then smear it around until it "disappears" into an even trace layer all over the key, using my fingers and a shop towel. You can try varying amounts of wax, and have the pianist try them out. I don't bother with any "product" for cleaning. I just wet the corner of a shop towel, squeeze it into the rest so it's barely damp, and clean off only the visible dirt. Using minimal water seems to help keep the keys from being slick afterwards.  I've found that pianists are most bothered by slick sharps, which they can slide off of. I like the beeswax because it is easy to keep in the kit, has a pleasant odor, is completely nontoxic, and could be removed if need be. It gives just enough stickiness, without any visible changes. Susan Kline Oregon State, Newport Arts Center List,   A professor says the keys on our CF are too slickor slippery. This is real ivory. And they were dirty too. I cleaned them with Keybrite, and now theyre even more slick. Any quick solutions? (Light sanding? Hairspray?)   Thanks,   Jim Busby BYU   p.s. I couldnt find anything for ivory on the archives. </blockquote></body> </html>