Re: “Do not use a file” to dress down breaker points
 

Since the 1960s I have been cleaning the oxide coating from ignition points with a point file, emery cloth, rubbing them on cement, a nail clipper file, a finger nail sand board file and scrapping them with a pen knife.

Re: “Do not use a file” to dress down breaker points
 

Certain people stole my points file.
Where would you recommend i get a new one?
Any favourites you have?

Re: “Do not use a file” to dress down breaker points
 

A trick I learned when I had a small engine shop. What ever you use to file the points, or after installing new ones, clean them by drawing a piece of lint free paper through them when closed. A fresh $100 bill works perfectly!

Re: “Do not use a file” to dress down breaker points
 

Ditto on cleaning points.

BTW, Any $100 bills I ever had are long gone, and they weren't even fresh.

Re: “Do not use a file” to dress down breaker points
 

I only have $1 dollar bills.

It will take me a long time to do the points. I would have to run my $1 bill through the points 100 times.:)

Re: “Do not use a file” to dress down breaker points
 

I have found that the media used is not the culprit, but the method... IF... You have to dress your points they should be taken off the DIST and honed as a fine blade. I have used a lot of stuff to do this in a pinch, but the common thread was I dressed it with purpose...

Re: “Do not use a file” to dress down breaker points
 

I use a little tool called a "Flex-stone" file. It's flat, about 4" long, very fine abrasive, good for cleaning up good but tarnished (or light burnt) points. Won't do much for any really bad pitted points though...I had this back when I did pinball machine repair. Flex stone file used on high voltage contacts. Low voltage blade switches in those machines, I used a strip of a business card, pulled through the closed switch.

Re: “Do not use a file” to dress down breaker points
 

I have always used a point file made for the very purpose! And no problems! And the real solution once wear is a problem, just replace the points!

Re: “Do not use a file” to dress down breaker points
 

You know, they sell "Flex Stones" for this purpose. They cut better than a point file, and are easier to use. About the size of a point file, but made of a flexible plastic material, embedded with abrasive on both sides. They work pretty well.

In my youth, I worked in a small engine shop, and the method used for small engines, chain saws, etc., was folded Emory paper (not Emory cloth), then as a final step, run a matchbook cover through to wipe away any loose grit, then reinstall and adjust gap. Worked every time.

Fine grit wet n' dry sand paper can be used, but the grit tends to delaminate quicker on it.

Anything that knocks the high side off can work, and there's really no need to eliminate all the pits. Spark likes sharp edges.