Hi Nige7
One thing you can try, to get over the bed bar problem, is to remove the tailstock and slide the banjo and headstock to the right hand end of the lathe, and as long as you have room at the end of the lathe, you can stand face on to your bowl and the bars will not foul the tool handle. I read you are coming to our club on Friday. Make yourself known, Barry and myself are up front, so to speak, on a skills night. Look forward to meeting you.
Roger G