Hey FSO it's looking good so far. You thinned out the mandible part nicely. I had the same concerns when iIdid mine so used the dremel for part, then sanded.
As far as stalks go I would toss the one that came with it (they look pretty bad) and then post in Cargo Hold and see if someone has one to sell. I got a nice one from another member for about $30 with a rangefinder. You're right, I might save the BM stalk for a better dome.
The Spruce Green should dry much faster than that, though it somehwat depends on the weather. Mine dried to the touch in about 15 to 30 minutes. What primer did you use? Make sure you do lots of lighter coats as heavier ones will take a long time to dry (you probably already know that, but thought I would mention it anyway).
You can see in the last picture why I brought the hoop all the way around to control the mandibles.
Keep up the great work!
