The whiskey (no matter the variety) really does help with the compliance of the metal against stone. Good effort!
What grit stones do you have? I have a kit with soaking stones of 400, 800, 1000, 3000 grit, and a stone for sanding down the others. Still can't get the 3000 to do anything impressive, so most stuff is just 800 then 1000 and I call it a day.