Where did your team get its machine tools?

[scitobor 617]

Originally Posted by EricH

--and we are sponsored by a machine shop. If we have something small, we do it with hand tools, but if it's a big job, we usually tell the shop what we need done. I think we once thought about getting more tools, but that didn't happen (yet).

My team's tool situation is pretty similar. We have lots of wood working tools but not much for metal work. We also never seem to have sharp hacksaw blades. Last year we got a metal press(I think thats what its called). The ability to bend and cut sheet metal has been awesome, its allowed us to do some of the metal work ourselves, which shorted the time it took for many parts to be constructed. We also have three CAM machines that are for working plastics and light metals that were donated to the school in the early to mid 90's. The problem is that we don't have any of the software needed to run them so they set around and collect dust! Its very frustrating because we often give up on designs because it will take to long to get it made by our sponsor.