QTR-Quadtone RIP

I've been lusting to do super fine art BW printing with a dedicated BW
printer (1400) and black inkset and all roads have lead to QTR.  Lots
of good info available, but there DOES seem to be some info for
newbies missing:

All docs I've read (many by the very generous and very helpful Mr.
Roark), seem to come from a view that one pretty much knows what they
are doing, but needs a bit of extra help. There is a lot of jargon
talk like:

 "...by avoiding the middle dilution (warmest) inks (LC and M),
I've been able to hold Lab B on Premier Art Smooth BW to about 1 in
the midtones..."

All very interesting, but how in the world does one learn WHEN there
the need to "... hold LAB B to about 1..."?   :-)

What I'm trying to ask - is there any info on learning =how= to
evaluate a print and then make adjustments in QTR, or that a new
profile is needed?

While not a total dunce, I AM new to QTR and this form of control. I
have lots of docs about profiling and getting
started. I've been further confused by the claims of some ink
suppliers that the curves they supply make a plug and play solution -
but IF you need a custom profile, they are available at a reasonable
price.

Hmm....  So how would I know that the print I've just ran off, dried
properly and looks stunning to my untrained eye, is NOT the optimum it
could and that I do need that custom profile or need to tweek things
via QTR? Are there any docs anywhere that will help me learn how to
"read a print" and decide that further work is needed... or not. Is
this the bailiwick of on-site printing classes? Maybe.

The web is so rife with how-to info on using and defining the tools of
Photoshop and QTR and such, but I've not found much on how to decide
when a particular tool (like adjusting a level
in QTR, or reworking in PS) is in order.

Any ideas or links? Or did I just miss something in the existing docs?

=Alan R.