It seems you have the makings of a successful refiner. As I'm sure your finding Hoke makes the chemistry understandable and allows you to better understand the debates here on the forum. The one thing in refining that makes you successful is knowledge and getting the basics under your belt allows for different processes and methods to be attempted but as you progress further the variables become more numerous and reaching for reference books becomes second nature as does using the search function here on the forum, bear in mind that no one knows it all, it's just too big a subject.
You are doing the right things and when you feel ready to start I'd suggest writing notes on the process your going to attempt and then checking if it will get you to your objective, leave space to add details and observations as you process your material and once completed that process should be firmly in your mind and any errors can easily be spotted and corrected either by yourself or from those who have done the same process many times. We all make errors and do things wrong but the true refiner knows what he did wrong and how to correct it and that comes from knowledge and experience, two things only you can acquire, so stick at it and I for one am looking forward to seeing your first buttons and bars.
