Abstract: A shaft polishing method includes a roughing step in which the length of fresh abrasive tape is pressed against an area, such as a hydraulic seal area, for selected time intervals while the shaft is rotated at a relatively low speed. A roughing step is followed by the finishing step, during which the shaft is rotated at a relatively high speed and the abrasive tape is pressed thereagainst for different time intervals. The resulting shaft area which has been thus polished is free of spiraling tool marks and spiraling marks left by grinding tools, which marks can provide paths through which hydraulic fluid may leak.