Normally, I'd apply one very thinned coat of nitrate to the framework first. This will soak into the wood deeply and raise a bunch of fuzz when dry. Then I sand the fuzz off and apply somewhat thicker coat, repeating the fuzz sanding and nitrate application until the structure starts to show a slight sheen where the wood surface is fully encapsulated in nitrate dope. Now you've got a solid dope foundation to stick coverings to and you won't be struggling to have something stay put.

I reserve the one thin nitrate prep for very light things like stick/tissue rubber powered models where fractions of a gram matter.

Anything of decent size I do the multi-step "get a sheen" process.

I wouldn't worry too much about punctures on SGM. That's a fairly heavy grade of silkspan and somewhat puncture resistant. I've got one SGM covered plane with well over 100 flights on it last year and there were no punctures until I got stupid and dropped a glow igniter through a rib bay...patched that, then the next day I ditched/crashed the plane on purpose because someone had walked out into my space and my lizard brain instantly reacted and took the safest option. The wing survived the crash intact, without any tears or punctures, but the fuselage/tail were wasted. An SGM covered wing is pretty tough.