What is in you dream FIRST robotics team shop?

[Rosiebotboss]

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

You mean it comes with one of these (or an army of them if you really are messy)?

Rosie does not even clean up her own shop, we're not going to clean up the X-Cats too!!

[IndySam]

Andy Baker clone.

[thefro526]

CNC machines to make new complex parts and the ability to weld. And if we're really pushing the envelope, I want a trap door that goes right into the andymark storeroom so that we can get parts instantly.

[Billfred]

Assuming we can't clone Baker (or Copioli, or JVN, or any other mentor), my dream shop would have the following:

a) Clean, unlocked bathrooms (you laugh, but...)
b) Suitable internet access, including making sure CD is unfiltered. (This was an issue on 1618 early on; fortunately, it was unblocked quickly once the request went in.)
c) Enough white-board space to ensure we can write things as we desire without having to worry about erasing immediately.
d) Storage for several old robots, and decently-organized materials.
e) Doors wide enough to allow a robot with bumpers to fit through easily.
f) A real water fountain, one that puts out a stream of water about as thick as your pinkie finger. When it's easier to drink the water, people drink the water.
g) A fridge for storing team drinks. (We use the teachers' lounge across the hall for this task.)
h) Enough computers to do what we need to do, and enough space away from them when we need kids to focus. (This we have.)
i) Enough carpeted space to build the relevant field elements.
j) Enough tools to assemble a robot well. (We're not there yet, but we're slowly growing our resources.)
k) A large-format printer. (I used the University of South Carolina's for making 1618's last two robots' side panels, and it really has about the perfect combination of cost, flexibility, and visibility to do the job. I imagine we could also have some fun with monocoque, if we chose.)
l) The ability to allow a pair of vetted mentors to come in and run meetings without a school employee present. (Burnout kills, y'know.)

I may think up more later.

[Katie_UPS]

Massive server space, a comfy programming corner, (as everyone else said) maid service, an automatic can recycler (how awesome would it be to have a robot made out of recycles mountain dew cans!?!?), even better welding stations, Replicas of the most successful FIRST robots (so rookies can see how they work, and so we can figure out some engineering tricks...), food, and a massively awesome organization system, a feild, and many things that I prolly forgot.

[Andrew Schreiber]

My dream shop would simply be one that is well laid out and had some a mill, lathe, band saw, and an arbor press all logically placed so that when in use material is not having to be held across a doorway. A decent amount of the proper hand tools with ample storage space for them (labeled storage!).

Also on my wish list:
Students who are willing to learn.
Parents who are supportive.
School Administrators who support us.
A place for students to do homework (college mentors included ... cough uh me cough)
Some place where Flint's finest don't show up because an alarm somehow got tripped.
Room to set up half a field.
Internet access allowing us to access everything we need.

[Cooley744]

right now our team would really like a plasma cutter!

[dtengineering]

Originally Posted by IndySam

Andy Baker clone.

You are so right that a good person outranks a goood tool any day! Give a team some bright, enthusiastic, responsible students, a few dedicated, competent mentors and they can take care of the rest with hacksaws and a cordless drill if they have to.

Of course once you've got the people... well... the rest just makes it more fun! To add to everyone else's list:

Panel Saw, Table Saw, Compound Mitre Saw, Jointer, Planer, Bandsaw, CNC router (we build a lot of stuff from wood)

Bead blaster, belt sander, disc sander, wire brush, grinder, buffing wheel. (Polished aluminum looks better, don't you think?)

Big honking vent fans. (we have used polyester/fibreglass composites in the past... a bit stinky)

A bucket of unobtanium and a cold beverage for the mentors at the end of the night.

Jason

[artdutra04]

... always one more thing then we have right now.

It's that idea that has always kept us pushing harder in our fundraising efforts, without making everything look like pie-in-the-sky ideas.

Right now on our short list are DROs for our Bridgeport milling machine, a TIG welder, and the homemade powder-coating oven; just recently we approved the funds to buy a vinyl cutting machine. Other recent additions to our shop also include a used 36" inkjet plotter, an arbor press, and keyway broaches (still saving up for those hex broaches though ).

[dbell]

*Enough small hand-tools so that everyone can have their own.
*A vacuum system that cleans up all the shavings and dust instantly.
*A full size, exact match, regulation practice field.
*An infinite supply and excellent selection of materials, all perfectly organized.
*water fountains and mountain dew fountains
*enough computers so that anyone can CAD or program, anytime.
*Plasma, laser, and regular CNC machines.
*A nice powder coating machine

And of course in the dream shop you need...
The ultimate FIRST team who can design the ultimate robot every year!!

[Blue_Mist]

In my dream shop there would be a crowd of bright and eager freshmen and eighth graders all begging to be let into our shop and join our Robotics Team. I would REALLY love that.

In retrospect, I would love for a younger group like our year, full of energy, talent and willingness to work, sometimes far overtime (all of us will be seniors next year, and the eight of us comprise of more than half the team. We came in just as the original group that started our team was leaving). Who came in as freshmen, stayed and worked our butts off learning, teaching and pouring everything we had into the robot and the team. Who are willing to help with more than just the six weeks of building and competitions. Who are willing to (thank you!) clean the shop every once in a while. Who are (relatively) numerous, so that not every single person has to do all of these all the time. I wish our shop was more full of awesome people like that!

And a working, non-temperamental MIG welder. That would be really cool.

[AmoryG]

My bible

[Laaba 80]

At our shop the owner/team president has a back shop that he rents out to other small businesses. My dream is to fundraise enough so he doesnt need to rent out that space. We could then turn it into a full practice field. It even has a little loft that we could use for bleachers.
Joey

[Schnabel]

I think it would be cool to have a meeting area that is large, and cool, that is separate from the rest of the shop. This way we can eat in there without the mess from shop dust.

[ComradeNikolai]

-A large area which isn't used as a classroom everyday (hello cleaning every night), as well as not having 90% of the room be occupied by unmovable desks with computers lining them - we had to bring in portable tables to build our robot on
-A programmers' corner with comfortable seating and a programming laptop (or two) which are not used by other students every day
-Enough power tools that we don't have half the mechanical team standing around idly watching the others work
-Enough cabinet space to hold everything from the KoP, as well as anything else we obtain, while not disrupting our coach's space for his classroom materials
-Storage for cool drinks and refreshments other than the vending machines - we only have so much money to spend in them
-A mill / lathe / anything that allows us to make custom parts without waiting and hoping our NASA engineer can expedite it (quick word: he is AWESOME. He got us a custom machined drum for a motor on our robot within 12 hours of asking for it (required some reminding NASA they did sponsor us), and that was I think 4 days before ship. We goofed up majorly, and he fixed it for us)
-An high ceiling: I hit a light once and a ceiling tile another time, and almost dropped the arm on our coach once while testing it. We need room for Fluffy to roar.