Rick, the needle twists and locks into place. Push it down and turn it clockwise until it locks. Do the reverse to take it off. I'm guessing you don't give a lot of shots.
For now the standard, it helps me with the spacing. The bubble develops a consistent distance from the tip allowing me a gauge for spacing. For me, working left to right is proving to be best.
My eyes went crossed, but it's not permanent. I can see some missing rivets, but not until after I did the primer. So here's where I'm at with this. Might get the first coat of white tomorrow.