I hear you. Sometimes I think they invented apprentices to push stones and paper. Not to say toolmakers don't do it, but...
I'm slowly getting to the point where I'm not the lowest rung on the ladder. Leadhands get in trouble if they aren't using their resources efficiently. You can't very well get an apprentice to do draw die tweaking in a press while a ten year toolmaker stones a draw cavity.
I shouldn't say he's a complete doormat, because he isn't. I just prefer are more asertive approach.
We don't use sanding blocks. The stones come roughly 8x2x.75" but I break them into halves or thids before use, unless stoning a very large plane surface (fairly common on outter panels).
It depends on the geometry of the die. Flat surfaces get very little attention compared to male rads. Fingers are used for intricate stuff, palms for longer, straighter rads.
We've actually made excellent progress in this area. I have no idea what has changed (cutter geometry, material, programming technique, CAM software, etc) but we used to have to use 40 grit stones, then 60/80 and finally 100 before polishing. Now virtually all rads can be stoned with 100g, and then polished.
Before we got our high-speed finishing mills, apprentices would stone continously for months (seriously) because the technology at the time couldn't cut it faster.
I think the industry has forced management to invest in better techniques and tools to basically cut more accurate dies faster. The programmers are a big part of this and they're on the shop floor often enough. It's hard for me to say anything beyond that as I don't work in the machine shops.
Regards,
Robin