A table-top capillary discharge soft X-ray laser system has recently been developed at Imperial College in order to evaluate its potential as a back-lighting source for solid density hydrogen plasmas. 1-D MHD simulations incorporating non-LTE ionization dynamics indicate the generation of the neon-like ionization stage of argon just prior to stagnation of the cylindrically converging shock. The experimental measurements of the collapse dynamics are compared to the simulation. End-on measurements show soft X-ray emission coincident with collapse. At the time of going to press no spectral resolution of this soft X-ray emission had been obtained. Possible methods of increasing output power and operation at different wavelengths, are discussed.