Abstract: A method of improving the symmetry of a cylindrical silica tube to be used in making a preform having a circular outside surface eccentric to a circular inside surface thereby providing a varying tube thickness throughout the circumference of the tube which includes the following steps. The first step is locating a longitudinal generator line of the cylindrical tube at a greatest thickness of the tube at a given circumferential point on the tube, and while preventing the tube from rotating, etching in at least one pass the inside of the tube with a gas capable of decomposing silica, while heating the outside of the tube along that longitudinal generator line.