New to welding

So i finally got my 220v outlet installed and fired up the mig. Im sure after some more practice i'll get it down but right now its not pretty. 1. About how far does everyone hold the gun from the metal? Hobart says 1/4-1/2 in of stickout but does that mean to place that directly on the metal. 2. Also what pressure should i set the regulator at?

yea, about 1/2 is good. I set my regulator at about 20-25 cfm, If your welding in the garage with no wind thats just fine. but if your outside and its even just a lil breezy, you'll want to turn it up to keep the welds clean. Thers' tons of stuff on the internet to get your welding technique down. I recommend going to the library and getting a book or two and a vhs on welding. Thats how i learned.
mike

Ive been trying to find some free vids online but the ones i found are kinda general and not too detailed.

oops i meant cfh, not cfm

i took a welding class and it made a world of difference.... other than that .. your big major book stores should offer some pretty good books on welding.. most of it welding comes from practice though to be honest with you.. but if you keep practing bad habist then youll never get where you want to be... so check out some books at the major book stores like barnes and nobles... home depot or lowes even offers one... other then that get some experienced people to show you and in the end practice is your best teacher with welding