Man that fresno save is the real trick right there. One thing I'd add is to keep a pump sprayer of water handy and mist the surface the second you see it start to crust, because once those float trails dry out they lock in and no amount of troweling brings the cream back. If it's really cooking on you, a little sugar water in the mix buys you extra time too, just don't overdo it or the top stays soft. The other move is to just slow the whole pour down and keep one guy dedicated to watching the edge while you work the field.

Honestly you're not the only one, and I'll die on this hill with you. I went to a tiny local exhibit last spring and there was this worn bronze water screw in a case, no fancy lights, no video screen, just a card saying it moved water for crops for maybe a hundred years. Nobody was standing near it. Everybody crowded the little model of some astronomical gadget two tables over. Boring stuff is what actually kept people fed and alive, and a hand filed gear tooth tells you way more about real skill and daily sweat than a shiny toy for rich guys ever could. Those plain tools sat in drawers because they were common, not because they were nothing. Common things are the whole story.