Where did your team get its machine tools?

[Ian Curtis]

In our first year we made it by using one mentor's machine shop in his barn on weekends and a mini bandsaw and hand drill (power of course). However in our second year the vocational school that hosts us let us use their machines after taking an 8 hour safety course. Right now we can drill, mill, and lathe, and bandsaw. The mentor still does the welding at home but in the coming years we hope to get someone authorized to weld at the school becuase most of our construction takes place in the 72 hours leading up to ship time (and there are usually team members at the school for around 60 hours of that time.)