Tips on using a Plasma cutter

[DRJDVM's '69]

I'm very new to the welding and plasma cutting world so I'm looking for some tips and suggestions on using these type of tools correctly.

I just got a Thermal Dynamics Cutmaster 38 plasma cutter and all I can say is..... me likey very much ...... its a wicked tool !!! I cant wipe the grin off my face while I'm cutting through stuff like butter...

Anyway......

My first question...... is there a general guideline on the machine setting for certain thickness cuts etc in order to get the best clean cut ?? Alot of my stuff is going to be sheetmetal (floor pans, patch panels etc etc), so I want to get a good clean cut without blowing it to pieces.

Second question... do you guys use a standoff ??? I want the wand about 1/4 inch off the surface when I'm cutting right ??? I'm just having a hard time keeping a straight line and a separation from the surface..

I'd love to hear any tips you veterans have learned over the years for using this tool the best way...