Josh your excess time seems not directly related to restoring the old tool but re-inventing your whole sharpening system. You will no doubt recoup lots of time sharpening in the future. The plane looks wonderful by the way.
Rarely do I find bargain old tools worth restoring. Mostly they are overpriced beyond belief and buying the very best new saves you money & a lot of time. I buy my engineer son tools to restore sometimes (as a fun project for him!). They become a not so fun project for me!
What amazes me is a store in my town packed with old tools, rusted and pitted beyond restoration, almost beyond recognition sometimes! Who the heck is going to buy them?
You can do a lot with very little! You can do a little more with a lot!