I've wanted a lathe for years.  I'm a member of a model engineering mailing list, I love reading about machining on the web, I have a few books on the subject, I've even thought about building my own lathe from homemade castings.  The only problem is I have neither the space nor real need for a lathe.  I'd use it from time to time, of course, but it the grand scheme of things it's hard to justify even a small hobby lathe.  Somehow, I doubt I'm alone.

Someone posted about airbrushes needing a well-regulated, constant supply of air-- and then mentioning piston vs pistonless compressor debates on other web sites-- and it got me wondering, why not just run the air from whatever compressor you have through an old tire tube, maybe stick a second valve on the thing at the opposite end. I'm thinking it oughta act for air something like a capacitor does for electricity and smooth out the supply? What do you think? Would it make a cheap & easy regulator?

As it seems my Free-moN modules have now become my "home layout", thought I'd start a new thread featuring the whole kit-n-keboodle rather than individual modules.

'Twas a busy weekend: on Saturday I set up all my modules in my garage to 1) troubleshoot, 2) see it if fit in my garage (a "California Basement") and 3) run trains!
Only took about a kabillion hours to get everything going, but once it did...!

A video: