David Stocker said: "In real life, I just use a knife to remove them all. If they break, toss ?em. If they don?t, they go into the box ?o? ivories. Needed three heads and a tail just this week." David, Yup! I use them all the time. However, while you are taking the ivory off, you might as well SORT them to make things easier for yourself when that "needed three heads and a tail just this week" pops up. I use the shipping boxes for tuning pins. each labled thusly: A1's and Tails, (these are golden as they are bigger and can be used for ivory front replacements); B's & E's; C's & F's ; D's; G's; A's & C88's & Tails, (same as A1's = Golden<G>). The tails I pack together and wrap them as a unit with twist ties. (I used to use rubber bands, but they deteriorate and stain the ivory). Be aware that there are two lengths of heads: longs and shorts. BTW, Don't throw out the broken stuff. Put the remnants in a coffee can and give or sell them to any Luthier in your community. They can use the stuff for fancy inlay on guitars/banjos, Harpsichords, whatever.<G> Now that's recycling!<G> If you do it this way, you'll get the proper ivory on the proper note and do a better job. ( I really hate seeing an A on a C key! Looks and feels like crap imnsho.<G Regards, Joe Joe Garrett, R.P.T. Captain of the Tool Police Squares R I
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