I don't want to say I told you so but, I told you so!
https://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/...94&postcount=9
If you use one of those methods to firm up the pitch, it will then become too hard during the cooler weather to get a good press. So astro744's suggestion of two different pitches makes more sense or just wait and work in cooler weather. Be very careful adding sawdust. If it has any hard contaminants, you'l get sleeks and scratches. And yes, I agree that a soft pitch may result in a TDE.
In the old ATM club I was involved with in Brisbane, we did most of the optical polishing in late Autumn, Winter and early Spring and did aluminium casting and metal machining during the hot weather stupidly hot as that was.
Joe