Nice impulse buy !
I find after Tig welding on and off for 10 years now that getting a comfortable setup is key, key, key.
I have a three legged stool that's a nice height for my bench vise.
I have copper jaws in my bench vise so the ground clamp is far from the workpiece and not in the way.
I will stop several times to reposition the workpiece so that I'm not welding in awkward positions...or those where I can't see.
I dry-run the path with my helmet open before I strike the arc to make sure the filler rod and torch motions are comfortable, make sure the electrode stickout is proper.
One mentor in this told me you have to "point the heat" which meant sharpening the electrode properly and regularly...all the more critical for thinner work.
I still find myself babying the pedal. My machine needs more of a drag-strip launch
to get a good puddle going and then I can back off.
The other mentor told me the first time you pick up a new Tig filler rod, bend a hook in the end of it. Always. You can hang it on something handy then. Dropping it as a straight wire is nearly impossible to pickup with thick gloves on.
Speaking of which I began with regular thick stick or Mig welding gloves...and migrated over to the thin goatskin gloves for Tig. Made a big difference and I don't seem to burn myself like I thought. They aren't forgiving of picking up a hot workpiece, though, so channellocks are the order of the day when repositioning.
I practiced lots of Tig welds with no filler rod at all...just concentrating on moving the puddle. A decent weld can actually be made that way...filler rod just makes it faster.
-Matt