hi niall, welcome!
please look here
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/63-498-0-0-1-0.html it gives some good tips.
unfortunately balancing a newt is near impossible to get exactly right due to the location of the eyepiece.
I swivel my tube so the eyepiece is pointing directly upwards...
how many kg's have you got hanging off the end?
Rusty