Using a random-orbital sander, I sanded both plates with a 360-grit sandpaper. As you'll see in
the picture, the yellow stain removed very evenly. I followed up with a wood block to ensure
that I didn't introduce new irregularities. The stain still came off very evenly. Apparently my
shaping of the plates was quite consistent.
Apart from the purfling grooves and
edge dimensioning, the outsides of the plates are pretty much done. Using a standard F-hole
template, I laid out the F-holes and drilled the end holes. Now I can lay out the inner drilling
guides and drill the depth guide holes.