I used sealant on the cover side and nothing on the engine side. Hopefully that shouldn't leak.
The tappets all needed a little adjustment. None of them much at all, but the engine sounds and runs lovely. I'm sure I can hear the difference.
As for the polishing I think it went really well. personal preference I suppose. I used some turtle wax and then a smear of oil at the end. Hopefully that will stop the rust. It was quite pitted in areas, so it has what i'm going to call an honest finish. 😁