[GB330033]

I'd like to thank everyone for their input. I took it all into consideration, and we made our final selections today. We decided to go without the mill/lathe, but it's on the list of things to buy next year as soon as we get some more mentors that can teach the team how to use it. This summer we're going to focus on trying to get someone trained in welding, so that all welds can be made on-site rather than at a fab shop. We also passed on any electronic parts for the robots, they'll be purchased as we need them. We set aside a little bit of money to try and get some raw materials, but we're not sure where to find what we need. Anyway, here's the list we came up with:

Craftsman 12 in. Band Saw
Craftsman 15 in. Drill Press
Craftsman 10 in. Table Saw
Craftsman Professional Laser Trac™ 10 in. Radial Arm Saw
Craftsman 29 pc. Titanium Coated Drill Bit Set
Craftsman Professional Universal Drill Press Work Center
Craftsman Laser Trac Laser Attachment
Craftsman 244pc Mechanics Toolset
Drill Doctor Sharpener, DD500X
DeWalt Cordless Radio with built-in Charger
DeWalt 18.0 volt Cordless Drill/Driver Kit
Assorted replacement blades/parts
Assorted hand tools
Extension cords
Power strips/boxes
Another set of sawhorses
A ton of a single-size nut/bolt (Size has yet to be determined)
A ton of crimp-on connectors
2 or 3 of every Vex part we can get our hands on

Some of you might be wondering about the Vex purchase, it seems over the top. Well, here's the plan. At the first meeting of next year, the team is going to begin planning for a Vex competition. At the second meeting they will finalize it, split into 2 teams, and begin a 2-week build period for whatever game they decide to play. In two weeks they hold a competition as a fundrasier/community event and have a good time. Not only will this be fun, it will also give new members some experience with designing a good robot (though on a small scale) and it will build teamwork. Sounds like a good idea to me, any suggestions?