7.15.2011 - We are moving!

The new shop will be on the North Shore of Massachusetts! Becca and I have relocated to Marblehead and I am looking for shop space.

My job with Puma is finished and Mar Mostro is off to the 2011/2012 Volvo Ocean Race.

I will be in the process of moving throughout the summer but will keep things up and running and will be available to build parts and provide CNC machining. Josh is in NZ working for Oracle Racing. Ben will be in Maine where he is doing some major house repairs.

We'll be starting on our third Castine Class sloop rebuild in Maine - where we are contemplating another storage shed. It will be nice to do some woodworking

.-Chris

 

12.15.2010

I have started a blog for posting updates, pictures of projects, and articles and items of interest. The address is: http://csrogers.wordpress.com.

-Chris

 

8.20.10 - South

The shop will be shutting down temporarily as I have a job on the build team for Puma Ocean Racing's new Volvo 70 in Rhode Island. Our plan is to be back in the shop in the spring of '11 - keeping up to date with the very latest in composites technology!

Josh and I have completed some tooling and parts projects for an 84' racer/cruiser being finished by Carbon Ocean Yachts of Bristol, RI. These include tooling for steering pedestals and other bits and pieces. We also tooled and infused a carbon headliner unit, and carbon coachroof louvers.

We built the tooling and structural shell in foam cored carbon for the aft sea hood on the maxi-yacht Speedboat. Her shore team will complete the installation.

Much of our work lately has been for a customer and project that we are not at liberty to discuss, but which has kept us busy with numerous parts and assemblies.

Our CNC has been running full time with tooling for our projects as well as machining and mold components for other builders. Most of our tooling is machined in ultra light MDF and OSB, but we have cut plenty of other wood products, foam, high density plastics, carbon and g10 plate - even aluminum.

Ben is gearing up for shrinkwrap season and is working on developing industrial and construction related business. Their crew covered an 120' water tower for painting this spring and have a 150 footer up next.

-Chris

 

5.8.10 - Parts and Molds

It has been a busy spring with tooling and parts projects for several interesting customers. I have been working with friend and CNC master Josh Petri on optimizing our 3d machining processes and precision assembly of multiple part molds.

We are getting into vacuum infusion as our standard laminating process, and working out ways to build with weights approaching those of prepreg parts at a fraction of the cost

-Chris.

 

2.4.10 - Latest Projects

I am back from the west coast (go BMW Oracle Racing!), and we have been catching up on the painting and annual maintenece to some of the boats we store.

Projects include CAD development and fairing of several rudders and centerboards, and some CNC tooling for small parts. We have completed one furniture prototype project and several more are in the works.

We have set up a mandrel 'spinning' machine for use with pre-preg material. This will allow us to produce tubes, spars, and tapered parts on carbon and aluminum mandrels. We are having some mandrels machined for spinnaker poles and similar profiles, adding to our growing collection of parallel-wall tooling. Our first double taper spinnaker pole has come out great!

Ben and Mat will be at the Worcester Sportsman's show (Feb 11-14) with some of their Beavertail surface-drive and 'long-tail' boats and motors. The boats are beautifully built of welded aluminum - with lots of camo paint. We have been practicing our CNC sign making for their show display - on live edge oak!

-Chris

 

11.20.09 - Updates

Ben, Mat and Maine Mobile Shrinkwrap are on the way to one of their busiest seasons yet. Chris remains on the west coast - in Anacortes, WA until early December.

We are upgrading our CNC software, and installing a vacuum system for securing work on the machine table.

Ben has become a New England distributor of Beavertail boats and motors - makers of 'go-anywhere' boats, surface drives and mud motors.

 

9.15.09 - On the Move

We will be away for the next few months, Ben to his fall shrinkwrap season with Maine Mobile Shrinkwrap, and Chris to some very interesting yacht work in San Diego. We have a certain amount of work for the coming winter, but would be happy to plan for additional jobs, and will still be available for estimates and discussion by phone or e-mail. Ben may be able to provide CNC cutting at reasonable notice. We have a few storage spaces remaining inside, and plenty of room outside at our storage lot in Penobscot.

 

8.20.09 - Pre-preg Capabilities

We have built a scalable parts-sized prepreg and postcure oven. It is digitally controlled and maintains temperatures up to 120 degrees C. We can monitor multiple part and oven temperatures and keep a computerized log of the cure cycle. Pre-preg materials combine resin and fiber in a tightly controled manufacturing process. Materials must be stored frozen before use and are 'cooked' at elevated temperatures to cure the resin. Benefits include greater control of resin content and fiber orientation than hand layup or infusion, and a clean, orderly lamination process. Lighter, higher quality parts result, as well as the ability to get the most out of high performance honeycomb cores. We have worked for some of the most advanced yacht building yards in the country, and have extensive experience with prepreg processes and tooling requirements. We look forward to providing the most modern fiber and resin technologies to our customers.

 

7.1.09 - Rogers Special Projects Begins Operations

Rogers Special Projects (RSP) has grown out of the building and repair work done by Chris and Ben Rogers as Maine Mobile Shrinkwrap with partner Mat Bowman. The new business will persue work in boatbuilding and repair, as well as in applying custom boatbuilding technology to other industries. Our goal is to provide high quality custom building in wood, fiberglass and advanced composites. We can offer a complete solution from concept development and CAD work - through CNC machining, part fabrication and finishing - combining a broad variety of materials and processes . Our experience working in performance yacht building at the highest levels gives us a strong foundation in lightweight, high performance building practices.