Dennis points out something that I didn't get the first pass when I was just getting the hang of what to look for in a lathe, and that is a '3 jaw chuck'. I didn't get the difference or the need for 3 vs a 4 jaw untill it dawned on me, that you can't hold something square, or 8 sided, in a 3 jaw chuck. Here's a photo, from my build site, showing (bit fuzy back by the chuck, but you'll get the idea), of turning down a landing gear strut, that was at this stage square on the bottom, hence the need for a 4 jaw chuck.

Lance