Hey all. In my experience it's best to cut stainless with a nitrogen assist, i find that even shop air comes out cleaner than oxygen.
If you're having problems with vinyl bubbling up try reducing the gas pressure or lowering the power. Lower gas pressure makes it so that the gas only removes the plastic that is vaporized and bubbles can't form simply because there isn't enough pressure. Reducing power burns less vinyl and gives less area for gas to flow in between the material and the plastic.
For example on the trumpf 1030 i cut laser guard using 150 watts, 10,000hz, 750 in/m and only 1 bar of shop air with a 1.7mm nozzle. i haven't had a problem with the plastic bubbling and clogging the nozzle or that horrible shrieking noise since.
24 gage stainless is very thin, if you cut it with nitrogen try using more gas pressure say 10-11 kg/cm and a smaller nozzle, a 1.2 or 1.4. With oxygen i'd use A LOT less gas and a small nozzle, 0.4-0.6 kg/cm and a 1.0 mm. I cut 0.25 in hot rolled steel with 0.8 bar and a 1.0 mm nozzle.
I think your plastic burning issues are from the oxygen assist though.
Hope this helps