Social Dancer. There are two entries into a V6. One according to Victor Silvester's book is after the first three of a Natural Turn. The other is from a Natural Spin Turn. Which is it in the 10th edition Alex Moore.
Depending on which is being used there are a different number of steps as well as an extra slow in the counting.
The V6 can also be done after a Progresive Chasse or even a Tipple Chasse

I think most recent technique books, including ISTD, IDTA and UKA, as well as Alex Moore 10th Ed, offer all these options. Most describe the Natural Spin Turn entry as starting with step 2 of the V-six, which is why I added the comment that step 4 (the step under discussion) was the one after the LF crosses.

Interestingly, Carl Bryant, in his 1953 book Advanced Ballroom Dancing, describes the V-six starting with step 1 being the man's RF back, which we now regard as step 2. He suggests dancing the figure after step 6 of the Natural Spin Turn or step 4 of the Quarter Turns.

Why not simply do a Natural Spin Turn at the bottom of side one. Then into the V. 6, the first step being on the man's RF backing diag to centre on the new side which is side two. With your forward Lock Step head into the corner and finish with another Natural Spin Turn finishing backing diag to centre on the new side which is side three.
If side two is narrow , one lock will do. If it's wide two locks or a double lock will get you into the corner.
Now we have to watch the Rhythm making sure we start the second Spin Turn on beats 1-2. Unless your chorographer has other ideas.
Remember, every physical action we take was designed to fit the music of that particular dance. The music comes first. Social Dancers don't worry. Just keep going, in time but out of rhythm.

Not unless he wrote from the grave, he didn't! Alex Moore died in 1991, not all that long after the appearance of the 9th ed (1986).

BTW, you can also dance a V6 after an Impetus Turn, and after a Progressive Chasse near a corner, where man dances RF fwd in CBMP OP, and then checks back to V6 DC of new LOD, PO.

Hi Interested,
RE the back lock part of the V6 - why is there not the "slightly rightwards" component that is used for all other back locks ?

Maybe, just maybe, you are looking at the wrong figure. Why not ask yourself the question, why that foot position is given on the lock step? You will, I'm sure, find your answer.

having quicky scanned thro' the various input i still feel that i don't really know the answer to my original question. i can see that a straight track might be useful for the V6 - but only for effect in the sense it creates a V with two straight sides.

As the previous poster suggested, the key is probably to focus on why the rightwards component is there in other combinations involving a lock. i think i understand why the sidewards component is there on step 2 of the forward lock (to create space for the partners foot as it comes into a crossed position), and I can kind of see that the sidewards on step 4 might be useful to allow a direct fwd swing to be made from a crossed position without obstruction from the other leg. but what i cant see is why any of this would not also apply to the V6 - as I say, maybe the different technique in the V6 is more for effect.

Interested. I'm not sure if this will help On an ordinary Lock Step after a Progressive Chasse the Lock Step is supposed to be taken Diag to wall. The shoulders are without any further movement are in the correct place after the Chasse. But for some reason those who dont know open the shoulders which makes the CBMP on the first step absent.
Now to the V 6 after the Spin Turn. There must be a very heavy right side leading on that first step which is for the man back right foot.
With the right side leading keep the shoulders where they are and go into the Forward Lock which now becomes, without changing, a Left side lead.
All of this doesn't mean you have to dance like a brick wall on legs. Its just plain common sense after we have learnt what is CBM and what is CBMP

3 wise men (all of them !)

There is also a R shoulder lead on step 1 (RF back) of a back lock after a half natural. And if you were to dance a back lock into a running finish (to the right !) the shoulders would stay put put into the first step of the running finish. Yet in Howard this combination (of half natural, back lock & running finish) is still standardised with the last step of the back lock as slightly rightwards.

I can kind of see that as the R leg moves onto the new track there would be a reaction force that would tend to make the shoulders more square, and also one might be tempted to move the upper body as a short-cut way of getting onto a new track, but those things could be avoided with disclipline, and in any case, would apply to all combinations).

Right SIDE lead.. the term "Shldr" was discontinued in descriptions, many yrs back... for obvious reasons

Trence. This is where written instuctions fall down.. When we say shoulders we mean from elbow to elbow also. If our side is leading then so are our shoulders. The elbow in the V. 6, first step for man, is the furthest part of our body that is away from our front. Not only that our shoulders are capable of turning more than our hip and should do so on that particular step. But to the less educated there might be a tendency to turn the shoulders without turning the hips. Instruction is needed. I think you'll agree. It can't be learnt completely from a book.