Hey JC,
Nice job and a great piece of lumber on your beautiful French Maiden. Mine is of peasant stock and has virtually no figure.
I used a little different technique to avoid pad line up problems. I screw the pad on wrap the stock with a single layer of aluminum tape about 4" wide, I then 1st get the pad close using a belt sander held in a vice and finish with an orbital sander. I remove the pad and polish it on the sides with a buffing wheel. I of course remove the protective tape which is about .003 " thick.
Jeff G.
