Thanks for all the through replies, sorry for my late response ( I wrote a response and lost it) then left this project for a minute.

Problem is now solved, was something I had not encountered before (newer bike than I am used to)

Since you took the time to ask:
the adjustment can only be tested AFTER the jam nuts are tightened... - Understood and the step did happen, but I fooled myself
i set one end's axle extension to 5 to 5.5mm, then work the other end to obtain the correct, minor end play. - Exactly how I described the process to my brother when he recently worked on his first hub

I swapped in the front wheel from my Cuevas into this fork and had zero issues, I then swapped the external cam qr into the Cuevas wheel and tested again, no issues. This left me pretty sure the issue was with the hub, or my assembly of the hub!

are you sure that the QR is actually contacting the dropouts well? - Yes, I had checked that first before going to work on the hub
the centering springs are big end out? - Yes
are the dropouts heavily worn? - Hmm, not one I had worried about, but now that you mention it 1 has a slight bolt sized indent in the soft aluminum dropout. Wheel sits flat and secure when secured with the qr but good thought
are they good QRs? or are they the external cam ones? - They are external cam, but seem to get tight enough and forks have "lawyer lips"