You may not need to bake. I found that baking allowed me to shorten the cycles between primer and coats of paint - I did not have to wait days for pieces to dry.
If you do decide to bake, there are several entries in this forum discussion that talk to time, temperature, fumes, etc. If you do decide to bake in the wife's oven, I recommend having the telephone of the local florist handy...lol
To polish name and number boards I use 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper. Keep the paper wet AND stretched flat over a level surface. I use a piece of wood 2 x 4. Place the brass under the tip of a finger (usually the tabs help hold it) and then gently apply pressure as you go back and forth. I keep checking to ensure the piece is polishing smoothly and evenly - lots of the old boards/plates have some damage that keeps them from cleaning/polishing evenly. Adjust pressure etc. as you work the piece. For final polishing I use either Brasso or Wenol(?sp). Either does a good job. I use a micro towel to buff - they work great!
Lastly, I made an adjustment to my oven by moving the light sockets further from the walls and going to 60W bulbs. When baking I keep a a 1" opening on the top so as not to build up to much heat. These changes are working for me.
