anyone out there has run an orbital sander on the side plates to clean them up a bit and give the surface a "honed" feel?

 

no one has dared?

 

plenty of people do / have done it ..not everyone has deep pockects or a handy machine shop down the road
... or even maybe one that can achieve the correct surface texture

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be careful to be fairly consistant with the power tool across the entire plate and its edges

also- a much better finish is achieved when you do a final step of adding cutting paste ( treflex) and rubbing two plates together in a figure 8 motion

this can be very time consuming

- be aware that using something with alum oxide abrasive ( paper and cutting paste ) needs to be thoroughly wiped and washed before use


here is one i prepared earlier -

 

^ very nice!