Changes

** If you want to ensure that the outer cladding will not be disturbed during the polishing process you will need to remove the outer cladding for a short (about 0.5 mm) length of the fiber.  This is a relatively easy process; it just takes some time, a lot of patience, and a microscope.  To begin with, set up a cutting guide such that you can make a small cut perpendicular to the length of the fiber.  If possible try and design your cutting guide such that it also lines up the cuts for all of the sides.  I used a simple piece of paper wrapped around the fiber.  

** If you want to ensure that the outer cladding will not be disturbed during the polishing process you will need to remove the outer cladding for a short (about 0.5 mm) length of the fiber.  This is a relatively easy process; it just takes some time, a lot of patience, and a microscope.  To begin with, set up a cutting guide such that you can make a small cut perpendicular to the length of the fiber.  If possible try and design your cutting guide such that it also lines up the cuts for all of the sides.  I used a simple piece of paper wrapped around the fiber.  

** Using the hobby knife, make a shallow cut along your cutting guide. You do not have to cut all the way through the outer cladding, just most of the way.  Try not to cut the inner fiber. To ensure that you do not, you might want to practice on some scraps of fiber.  Take a piece of scrap fiber and begin cutting the outer cladding.  The inner fiber feels much softer than the outer cladding.  The only way to learn how to tell the difference is to slowly cut through the test fiber and feel the change in resistance. [[Image:Stripped Cladding.JPG|thumb|Fiber with Cladding Striped]]

** Using the hobby knife, make a shallow cut along your cutting guide. You do not have to cut all the way through the outer cladding, just most of the way.  Try not to cut the inner fiber. To ensure that you do not, you might want to practice on some scraps of fiber.  Take a piece of scrap fiber and begin cutting the outer cladding.  The inner fiber feels much softer than the outer cladding.  The only way to learn how to tell the difference is to slowly cut through the test fiber and feel the change in resistance. [[Image:Stripped Cladding.JPG|thumb|Fiber with Cladding Striped]]

** Now that each side of the fiber is cut, start removing the cladding.  To do this, it is easiest to use a second hobby knife.  Place the second hobby knife along the cut in the fiber and place the initial hobby knife at the end of the fiber between the cladding and the fiber and use it to pry up the cladding. If you did it right the cladding should come up and break along the cut that you made.  The fiber after the cladding is removed, is see in the picture to the right. (Note: don't worry about scratching the inner fiber, it will all be polished away anyway.)   

** Now that each side of the fiber is cut, start removing the cladding.  To do this, it is easiest to use a second hobby knife.  Place the second hobby knife along the cut in the fiber and place the initial hobby knife at the end of the fiber between the cladding and the fiber and use it to pry up the cladding. If you did it right the cladding should come up and break along the cut that you made.  The fiber after the cladding is removed, is shown in the microscope picture to the right. (Note: don't worry about scratching the inner fiber; it will all be polished away anyway.)   

** Finally, during polishing, make sure to shave the fiber almost all the way down to the cladding.   

** Finally, during polishing, make sure to buff the fiber almost all the way down to where the cladding begins.   

'''Step 2'''

'''Step 2'''