>Seems to me we used to do this all the time -- clean the distributor cap
>contacts with emery paper.  In a pinch, I've even heard of using a dollar
>bill (this works great to burnish relay contacts, by the way).

Emery cloth held in the hand (or in fingertips) is a bit clumsy. The
precision of the Dremel drill makes keeping the convex shape of the
contact easier. If you flatten out the convex shape by sanding with
broad strokes, you increase the distance between the rotor tip and
the contact significantly, I think.

Dave
--
Dave Carpenter

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from
magic." -- Arthur C. Clarke