Official Luthiers Forum!

No problem, Larry.
The thing that caught my attention was your mention of using a drastically-reduced rate of feed to even out the plate. While that is one approach, it may not resolve the problem in other situations such as when you're working with a different wood.

You'll get to know your machine quickly, and decide what methods work best for your needs.
Again, well done.

Side note to anyone new to these machines:
I realize threads such as this are about building a needed item on a limited budget, but once you decide the machine is set up to your satisfaction, an excellent "improvement" is the addition of a remote DRO (or scale).
Easily attached to the underside of the table, it will help considerably during table adjustments, providing the table is stiff enough to reflect the accuracy of the guage. Eliminates guesswork when trying to move the table in very small increments.
A 6" model could be purchased for under $30.

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Always have plenty of sandpaper; it's rough out there!