[qume]

I tried to get some waterjet cut parts about 5 years ago near Santa Barbara. The only shop I could find that could do it had no way to get the data into the 486 - yes you read right - other than hand replicating my file in his ancient CAD program.

My experience overseas is more like fire off an email with an attachment and have perfect parts a few weeks later.

I believe this is changing though. There are some awesome short run PCB assembly services in the states now for instance.

[extrapickles]

Now that the old equipment is at the end of its useful mechanical life people are switching.

In the manufacturing I’m involved with recently got rid of their last machine that used 8080 era processors and character only green CRTs.