Valve Clearance on Larger Camshaft and Flat Top Pistons

My reasoning for measuring first with a checking spring and dial indicator before clay and heavy springs is to gauge (1) if there will be piston-to-valve contact during checking and (2) if a clay check is even necessary for my level of build. The thing that keeps me from starting with the heavy springs and clay on a solid roller cam is that the spring pressure doesn't allow you to creep up on piston-valve contact like you can with a checking spring. Using the checking spring, I can stop rotating the crank just before I run out of valve drop where the piston and valve will bind. With the heavy springs and clay, the only way I know I have contact is after the contact produces enough resistance through the valve, rocker arm, pushrod, and timing chain to where I feel more resistance in the breaker bar than the spring and rotating assembly resistance I've been feeling. Going as lightly/slowly as I'm going on the breaker bar, I don't know that the binding would bend the valve or mar the piston, but the chance is there whereas it isn't with the checking spring method. If clearance with the checking spring confirms no piston-valve contact but shows clearance is under minimum, I move to a clay test with the heavy springs for the more accurate measurement.

If the checking spring and dial indicator shows minimum or greater clearance, there's no need for me to then check with heavy springs and clay since I know there will be added clearance with the heavy springs. The exception here where I proceed to clay and heavy springs even with minimum clearance is if I'm concerned about clearance between the relief wall and valve. I'm not building engines to the performance level that I'd want to adjust parts to decrease valve clearance down to the minimum, but I'd measure with clay and heavy springs after the initial checking spring measurement if this were my goal.