Howdy folks

I am the secretary of the Robotics Club at Passaic County Community
College in Paterson, NJ. Due to federal largesse we will shortly be
coming into some cash. It has fallen to me to specify a preliminary
loadout for machine shop tools as follows;

Drill Press - max. price $2.5k
Lathe - max. price $2.5k
CNC cutter - max. price $1.5k

Additional considerations;

Are these tools a good basic start? given the fact that no machinist
classes are offered at the school I'd like to build toward something
that is likely to be encountered in a professional environment.

Are my prices realistic? I have never bought anything remotely like
this, but I can easily imagine buying barely-tolerable stuff for this
budget and later learning I could have had the good stuff for an
additional $500.

What structural considerations are at play in the operation of machine
tools? Is special ventilation required or can we set up a fan with a
hose to a window? Are there such things as deployable units?

What specs should I use to determine quality/suitability? What
manufacturers, if any, should I reject on sight?

Many thanks in advance for any help

Sincerely

Joseph Stavitsky
Secretary
DaVinci Robotics club
Passaic County Community College