I use a leather golf glove on my left hand which is the only hand that touches the wire--my right hand handles only tools. The golf glove (you can buy cheap ones in bulk) protects the wire from the oils in your hands without having to dip them in talc. It also protects the thumb from wear and tear when winding the wire onto the tuning pins. During breaks I can practice my chipping. David Love www.davidlovepianos.com -----Original Message----- From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of A440A at aol.com Sent: Friday, January 09, 2009 10:29 AM To: pianotech at ptg.org Subject: Re: [pianotech] talcum Hmm, << Talcum, Talc, French Chalk are all Magnesuim Silicate. Chalk is a type of limestone, a form of calcium carbonate. Blackboard chalk, confusingly, tends to be made from calcium sulfate. >> I have used talc for years. This is USP Talc, from Mallinckrodt chemical company. I got a pound from the druggist in 1976 and have almost used it up in a career of stringing. It was taught that way at North Bennett, to use unscented talcum powder to avoid the perfume oils. I thought that was stretching it, but I have never had a jumpy pin or tuning difficulty with the many blocks I tune where I used this to string with. It keeps the hands from staining the wire. Regards, Ed Foote RPT http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html <BR><BR><BR>**************<BR>A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1215855013x1201028747/aol?redir=htt p://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072%26h mpgID=62%26bcd=DecemailfooterNO62)</HTML>
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