Abstract: A nail filer comprises a generally cylindrical housing containing an electric motor and a power source, preferably dry cell batteries. The housing may have an on-off switch and a safety switch. Connected to the motor outside the housing is the end of a filing drum of different degees of roughness in segments therealong. A cover, which is essentially cup-shaped, fits over the drum and its end provides a bearing for the distal end of the drum. The cover is of irregular wall shape so that its exterior is oblong. Peripheral slots are formed in the cover to space the finger from the drum so that the sides of the nail may be filed off closer than the center tip of the nail. In a preferred embodiment the drum is formed with valleys, also roughened, and additional slots in the cover align with the valleys for the purpose of filing nails of longer length, using the cover again as a variable spacer.