[taichichuan]

Hi Dan,

I'll look around. The big problem here in the DC metro is that there are very few, if any, manufacturing facilities left. The cost of land, traffic, use taxes, etc. has driven almost all of them away. There's quite a bit of high-tech and bio-medical here. So, if I wanted a wave-solder system or a pick-and-place machine, that would be doable. But, it would be of little use to the team.

We have another problem in that even our space at the high school is shared with the drama department. So, my thoughts so far have been focused on what I can do to help the team, even if that means taking half my garage and turning it into a mini-shop where we don't have to move everything out of the way after our time slot at the school. Not that I'd mind having that kind of equipment around the house, mind you. Of course, my wife might have a different opinion ;-).

Unfortunately, actual light-manufacturing has dropped below the RADAR in the local area as have the machinists that you could ask questions of. Locally, we've got lots of EEs and software guys (not that I'm complaining because I resemble that remark). Still, I'll keep looking.

Thanks,

Mike