To get pedal pressure sooner, tighten the brake shoes tight enough to cause quite a bit of resistance in turning the wheels.
This will lessen the amount of fluid needed from the master cylinder to cause the brake shoes to contact the brake drum sooner.
Once you have an acceptable pedal, adjust the brakes to specs.

1952 5-window - return to "as built" condition | 1950 3100 with a 235 and a T-5 transmission