Thanks again everyone for your time.
I've watched the advised videos, listened to all your suggestions
and have practised and finally felt that I got somewhere.
I've only messed about with some scrap but, no prob, I used
both the flat skew and the oval and, for the most part, felt I was
in control. I wanted to try turning between centres with my new
collet chuck (which I am knocked out with......thanks Derek).
To start with, I made a dead centre from Polyethylene using the
skew.(I was surprised how hard this material is, as I'd read in other
posts how easy it turns...) Anyway, I mounted an acrylic pen
blank on this centre, live end at the tailstock, took it down to
round with a roughing gouge and used the skew from there
on in. I got it to almost finished and was intending to get
to a point where I did'nt even need to sand it cos I
was getting on so well, when I got clumsy and caught the
long point which, not only broke the acrylic, but nackered the brass tube.
Not to be beaten, I skewed the rest of the acrylic off, which was good
practice and went well, and used an apple blank this time. Again,
used the skew right down to final and just needed a top up with
1200 grit,
So, thanks to all your encouragement and good advice, I feel
as though I'm finally getting somewhere - just another
999,950 hours to go.....
thanks again chaps -Top Class Forum - regards, Jim