JD, I use full profile inserts and I set my compound at 29 1/2 degrees. If I set my compound to 0 (or straight in) the handle is in an interference position with the cross feed handle and I tend to rap my knuckles. If I leave the compound alone and just feed straight in with the cross feed, I have to remember where I was on the last cut and I sometimes forget and end up making extra "free passes".
Even CNC lathe programs do not always feed the threading tool straight in. Some use a compromise angle somewhere between 0 and 29 and some even alternate feeding one pass straight in and the next pass at some angle. I saw this discussed in a book provided by one of the tooling companies, I think it was either Kennametal or Sandvik.
I spent some time running a19" LeBlond that had the compound feed locked up solid so I could only use the cross feed. It worked quite well with full and partial profile inserts. We ran a lot of metric threads and it took all my concentration to keep from breaking inserts or worse, but after doing it all day for weeks you get real good at it.
Scott Roeder