A method of machining a component including a substrate having an outer surface and an inner surface defining at least one interior space includes: disposing a distributed medium having a plurality of irregularly shaped particles in the interior space and forming at least one hole in the substrate, while the distributed medium is disposed within the interior space, such that the distributed medium provides backstrike protection for an opposing wall during the formation of the hole(s). Each hole extends through the substrate to provide fluid communication with the respective interior space; and the method further includes removing the distributed medium from the interior space.