Abstract: A method and machine adapted to deburr items having burrs, particularly pressed sponge metal compacts of zirconium or hafnium. The burrs are gently scraped away by one or more endlessly moving, substantially horizontal preferably rotary screens preferably of stainless steel wire, which carry the items to be deburred. An item-confining wall and a series of baffles are associated with each screen for guiding the items back and forth across the upper surface of the screen and for passing the items through a passageway in the confining wall. The shavings of deburred material drop through the screen and are collected below. Means, such as item turning chutes, are provided between screens so that opposite sides of an item to be deburred, such as a washer-shaped item having flat opposite sides, will be completely deburred in a single pass through the machine.