Thanks all for your quick replies. I will be attacking the tree sometime next week and as i'm having the week off, will try the ideas above.

I got my lathe at the end of October and have been exprementing ever since. Apart from a basic CD send out by Robert Sorby which shows the basics of how to use the tools, all of my turning is trail and error, with as much info taken from this forum espacially the use of LDD.

For valentienes day (she couldn't wait till Tuesday) my loverly other half has brought me a days turning one to one tution, which i hope to take sometime next week and learn a bit more.

I only have one problem with woodturning, its too addictive g