Yes, just use an awl.
Fill in between the lines- make your puddle the width of the parallel lines.
It's a TIG torch. You'll never progress calling it a gun
Hold it like you would your young child's hand- gently but in control. If you're struggling to slide, you're too tense in your grip. That's a very normal tendency.
I wrap my hose around my arm and sometimes over my shoulder depending upon the position I'm in, but almost always around my forearm. Be careful though, the hose gets hot!
CK Worldwide makes a "Superflex" cable that's much more supple and easier to manage. Get it in the 25' length.
Diamond wheel or Silicon Carbide (green) wheels work well. You don't need a lot of pressure on the tungsten to grind it or shape it- just spin it and let the wheel do the work. But they do wear grooves in your wheels pretty quick.
Snap a picture of your torch, cup and tungsten when you get a chance. And for steel TIG, use red or blue. But be aware, the red (thoriated) are radioactive slightly. So when you grind them, you're creating hazardous dust... I use 2% lanthanated for steel and often for aluminum. Sometimes (thick or heavy aluminum) I revert to a 100% (green) tungsten.
