I did my learning in the floor area. I intend to have a floor mat there some day!
You should find out from you friend what flow setting he uses and the wire speed. I found that every time I did some work, I learned something new. After a while you will be amazed at what you can do.
Best advice is get the metal as clean as possible. Also it is very important to be able to see clearly what you are doing. This sometimes means making sure that the arc is lighting the path for you as you push the puddle along.
