Abstract: A method of forming an article comprises forming a feed material around one or more shapeholders and sintering the feed material and the one or more shapeholders to form a sintered article comprising the one or more shapeholders in a base material. The sintered article is exposed to a solvent to remove the one or more shapeholders from the base material. Additional methods are disclosed, as well as articles including one or more microchannels exhibiting a diameter of from about 5 ?m to about 10 mm.

Abstract: A stave assembly which cooperates with a plurality of staves to form a hot tub wall includes in a preferred embodiment a narrow stave having a projecting support for a seat, shelf, ladder or the like. The narrow stave is abutted by a pair of slats each of which have a chamfered edge for abutting adjacent staves. In other embodiments the stave assembly includes a stave with a support for a seat, step or the like embedded therein.