If you are soaking your strips for only a day, try soaking them for four to five days. You can't believe the difference. It only takes 30 seconds over the heat gun to displace ( or flatten) the nodes. They don't burn and the nodes don't harden. Makes the plane slide like hot butter. Rough bevel while wet.  To dry the strips before heat treating I wrap them with the pith side out and set them in the oven @ 125 degrees F till I think they are dry  enough. I heat treat in the normal way.  (Tony Spezio)