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Talc options...

sloengineer

Active Member
We need to change a tube and I really prefer to not wait on UPS to deliver real talc. Is there anything the collective is using now that Walmart has purged talcum powder from its shelves?
 
Billiard talc

Try a billiard supply shop if there is one near to you, they use talc around pool tables.
 
What is baby powder made from now? And what is wrong with using it?

Would chalk from a climbing gym work?
 
Any welder will have some.

Ask for a piece of soapstone. They use it to mark steel and it comes in sticks. It’s solid talc as mined from the ground. A half a stick rubbed over a file will producd more than enough powder for a tire / tube installation. And it’s pure with no additives. :D
 
The last set of tires I bought from Desser had little packets of talc included. I'm sure they have it available.
 
My baby powder is Lavender scented... It does make the process slightly more calming and enjoyable for me. The tubes must stay calm in the tire too because I haven't had a problem in years.
 
Make sure your baby powder is actually talc. Much of it is now corn starch based, which seems to work fine for changing diapers. That might come in handy in a few years, speaking personally. However, DO NOT use non-talc powder on your tires and tubes. The corn-based stuff absorbs moisture and gets clumpy over time. So you can end up with small hard nodules of corn starch that can grind away at or even puncture your inner tubes months or years down the road. And make sure you use lots of extra real talc if you use Aero Classic (Desser) Leak Guard tubes made from Butyl. The mold lines on those tubes are very susceptible to tear out in the presence of corn starch, especially at low air pressures where there is movement between the tube and tire surface. The Michelin Air Stop Butyl tubes don't seem to have this kind of problem. But talc 'em all.

Old-fashioned talc products = yes
Non-talc baby powder = no
 
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