Is there a consolidated opinion on the amount to nudge a piece of work
sitting in prussian blue in order to encourage marking? Procedurally
I have been using (in compass points) 1 inch north, then 1 inch south,
then 1 inch east, then 1 inch west. I use the rubber handle tips of a
pair of needle nose pliers to apply the force as much as possible to
either the x or y axis (e.g. with no pushing down on the piece). Is
this a good procedure, or should I try something different? (BTW -
when I do no nudging whatsoever, there appear some number of dots on
the surface, but so faint that I often need a magnifying glass in good
light to see them. The dots using the method outlined above are good
- but more smudges than dots. This fact is bothersome, I think. The
examples I have seen are clearing circular-ish dots).

Also, I have a light piece I am working on - 6 inches by 3 inches by
3/8 inch. I found that it does not mark well. Noticing the type of
surface plates and other things that are usually scraped, I think
usually the work is much heavier. Therefore I tried placing a couple
of matching pieces of the work on top after it is placed in the blue.
I seem to get a much more uniformly good marking. Is this procedure
acceptable? When the piece is not weighted, there are times that when
nudged, it will ride the surface like an air hockey puck with just the
lightest of nudges and I have to grab it to keep it from going off the
side. I think there is some sort of air pocket induced when this
light work is not weighted....

Thanks in advance. I have read every scraping post on this group and
now I can say that my eyes are as bleary as my hands blue. I have
spent an amount of time on this "effort" to which I am almost becoming
embarassed to admit. But now it is a matter of pride. This work will
go flat! So any help or opinions would be greatly appreciated.