<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"> </head> <body text="#000000" bgcolor="#ffffff"> Yesterday I tried hammer filing using a small Dremel-type tool for the first time. Hitherto, I've always used home-made sanding paddles.  I've been meaning to ask for a while,  what others do, if anything, to improve the appearance cosmetically when the top surface of the hammers is very grubby. I found yesterday that the dremel tool was quite good for that.  I am attaching two pairs of before-and-after pics. One from hand filing, and yesterday's with the little drill.  The angle of the photos makes it look as if all trace of grooves was removed, but actually that's not the case. Plus, the photos seem to exaggerate small unevenesses! I have read in the past, of using dressmakers' chalk to brighten grubby hammer topsides, but that seems a laborious process and somehow slightly distasteful. Best regards, David Boyce </body> </html>