1. Sand Deep Crevices
If you are refinishing an elaborate piece of wood such as turned table legs or chair spindles, use an emery board to gently smooth those hard-to-reach crevices before applying stain or finish.
2. Prep Seeds for Planting
Use an emery board to remove the hard coating on seeds before you plant them. This will speed sprouting and help them absorb moisture.
3. Save Your Suede
Did someone step on your blue suede shoes? Or worse, spill some wine on them? Rub the stain lightly with an emery board, and then hold the shoe over stream from a tea kettle or pot of boiling water to remove the stain. This trick also works for suede clothing.
4. Remove Dirt from an Eraser
Are you fussy about the dirt on the eraser end of a pencil? Take an emery board and rub lightly over the eraser until the dirt is filed off.
5. Sharpen Dull Tweezers
Don’t throw out your dull tweezers and waste money on buying a new pair. Instead, close your tweezers around an emery board and pull the board out a few times in three different directions. Now that’s sharp!