Hi everyone! I'm reaching out to fellow hand tool enthusiasts for some advice. I have a steel part that has several critical features, and I'm only allowed to do hand polishing on it. The tricky part is that there are 24 holes in the piece that have deep scoring, almost like threads. I'm looking for handy tools or creative methods to remove these deep scores using only emery paper. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!
3 Answers
Just curious if you’re trying to polish up a 3-2-1 block! That immediately came to mind when I read your description. Good luck with the polishing!
It’s tough to quickly remove material and get rid of those deep scratches with emery paper designed for finer scratches. You might have to make some compromises on speed or the depth of those scratches. Just keep that in mind as you work on it!
One idea is to use a Yankee screwdriver with an awl that fits the holes. You can attach emery cloth to the awl with hot glue. Just keep working it in and out, but it’s a lot of work! If you’re not limited by anything else, options could really expand, like using a flexible shaft with a die grinder bit if you can think outside the box!
I hear you! As a fitter, I would typically think about reaming them out, especially since the holes don’t have a controlled diameter. But with emery paper being our only option, I'm curious too if there’s a hand tool that can help here.