* Using the emery board is a bit tricky and needs special care. Gently grind down the end of the fiber with the board, do not push too hard or to soft. The strokes should be at a steady pace but not too fast or to slow (if you consider the up and down motion as one complete cycle the speed should be around 1 revolution per second). I know that these direction are a little obscure, so the best way to figure out just how fast and how much pressure to apply is to use a scrap fiber and practice for yourself. The reason why you do not want to go too fast or apply too much pressure is that it could (and most likely will) result in stripping the outer cladding around the fiber. After the fiber is polished down with the emery board, it is best to remove it from the apparatus and inspect it for major breaks in the outer cladding. This process should take about 30 seconds depending on how much you need to shave off. | * Using the emery board is a bit tricky and needs special care. Gently grind down the end of the fiber with the board, do not push too hard or to soft. The strokes should be at a steady pace but not too fast or to slow (if you consider the up and down motion as one complete cycle the speed should be around 1 revolution per second). I know that these direction are a little obscure, so the best way to figure out just how fast and how much pressure to apply is to use a scrap fiber and practice for yourself. The reason why you do not want to go too fast or apply too much pressure is that it could (and most likely will) result in stripping the outer cladding around the fiber. After the fiber is polished down with the emery board, it is best to remove it from the apparatus and inspect it for major breaks in the outer cladding. This process should take about 30 seconds depending on how much you need to shave off. |