It seems that a metal polish, like Autosol, placed on a saw plate in a few dabs here and there, combined with a ball of aluminum foil ( just wad up a baseball sized ball)  and a wee bit of elbow grease, can shine up a saw's plate to almost like new. 

 Tip comes from a fellow over at saw mill creek forum.  

Won't remove pitting and the like, and you do have to scrape the worse of the rust of first.   After a little scrubbing, one can see oneself in the sawplate!  

Note:  Wear gloves!    Between the foil ball nicking things like fingers, and the polish.....

Better hurry, there is a "run" on autosol  going on.   getting hard to find......

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Planer? I'm the 'planer', and these are what I use...

I'll be trying the foil trick hopefully this weekend. There are few advantages to a smooth and shinny saw plate.

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Good, Better, Best never let it rest
Till your Good is Better and your Better is Best.

Tried a bottle of turtle wax chrome polish on a couple saws today.    Scrubbed them with some 0000 steel wool  The before shotJust a dab will do you ( where have I heard THAT before???)  andThe after.  Used a paper towel to wipe off the mess.     Will try the foil ball in a few days....

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Planer? I'm the 'planer', and these are what I use...