Colin,
You must have realised by now that it wasn't a good thing showing a shot of the khazi, you left yourself wide open to the weird sense of humour that abounds here.
But hopefully that has now subsided and we can get onto more serious matters.
I can see one major problem you have with your lathe from the pics you have shown.
I would suggest you get it bolted to something rigid. Get rid of any rubber feet, and even bolting it thru the casting and drip tray onto a piece of old worksurface (as long as it isn't warped) will make it 1000% more rigid than you have it now. Unsupported, the castings bend and twist like a rubber band.
Then you can start to ask the lads how they tweaked theirs to get it cutting well, and I am sure you will soon get it sorted.
Bogs