I needed to learn more about playing with UV's and watched mr mkinleys UV video tutorial at:
https://www.mtmckinley.net/
Go to tutorials, modelling, polygon texturing, download and have a watch.
Basic concept which I didnt realise was that each time say, you do a planar map, it doesnt make copies of the uvs in the uv editor, it uses the same ones. Simple fact but till I realised I was confused...
Good luck