DaveW:
I'll have to try that polishing trick you mentioned - it sounds like a really neat trick
Thanks for passing that one on
As for oil, the ZX1 oil I mentioned earlier was tested by the Atomic Energy Authority National Centre of Tribology. It actually fills in the tiny microscopic 'pores' of metal parts. This apparently is the most effective friction reducing synthetic formulation ever developed (alledgedly!) and I have no reason to doubt this claim - it seems to work very well in all the bearings I have, including motor bearings and bushes etc.