ABOUT MB FLOATS
MB Floats was first founded as a mail order, Brochure based supplier of Hand Turned Specials way back in 1993.
MB Canal Specials website, was also one of the front runners in the early days of online ordering 1998 and is still online today at www.mbcanalspecials.co.uk mainly for the hardcore canal match anglers. All balsa patterns there were 100% hand turned by myself. With many now available here as well.
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LAST UPDATE FOR CANAL SITE
2017 MB (Canal Specials) site will be hosted with MB Floats………
MB FLOATS
Canal Specials Since 1993
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CONTACT ME
MB Floats was first founded as a mail order, Brochure based supplier of Hand Turned Specials way back in 1993.
MB Canal Specials website, was also one of the front runners in the early days of online ordering 1998 and is still online today at www.mbcanalspecials.co.uk mainly for the hardcore canal match anglers. All balsa patterns there were 100% hand turned by myself. With many now available here as well.
BRIEF
BALSA
CLOSED CELL FOAM
STEMS, TIPS, EYES etc.
ABOUT THE MATERIALS USED
At Present I only carry balsa for turning bodies or floats by hand and in varying grades to suit each application. As of 2022 I also carry various grades of foam for my CnC range.
All HT product bodies are auto-
Balsa is the only medium I use to turn by hand and in a verity of grades. Although it is getting harder and harder to source what I would call “canal quality balsa” (Very light and almost without grain), the grade I use for commercial patterns is not so difficult (maybe only in lower diameters 6 mm and lower).
As already stated, I feel I can grade balsa better if I turn by hand, as you actually feel the grade as it is being profiled.
Generally I get between 18 to 20 pole float’s off a length of dowel and these floats stay together throughout my float making stages in fact right through to finish and into stock, this way the continuity of balsa is the same. Basically although there will be slight variation of loading on balsa, I think you get better performance repeatability while fishing when using not only material from the same tree. But the same dowel from that tree. Which I try to do.
In a nutshell I maybe have three grades Canal Grade, Carp/Commercial Silvers Grade and stirring paint grade.
As you have no doubt gathered I would not have touched foam at all if it had not been for the introduction of the new aerospace composites float makers now machine. Unlike balsa floats this material is very much synthetic. I would go as far as to say, its probable only a short time before this material actually sits and fishes like a balsa float as it is improving at an alarming rate.
Note: As of 2022 I know machine my own range of CnC Patterns. Using various grades of PMI foams which are suitable to there own fishing application.
Please Also Note : The HT Range is still a fully auto-
My God!
How times have changed. I used to make my own side eyes and use yard bristle for tips.
I now carry solid nylon/plastic tips from 0.6mm to 2mm. Hollow Tips from 1mm to 2.5mm .Cane in 1, 1.2, 1.5, 2 and 3 mm diameters. Fibre glass from 0.6mm to 1.8mm. Carbon in 0.6mm, 0.7mm, 0.8mm and 1mm. marine quality stainless steel in 0.5mm for Canal patterns. Standard stainless in 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8 and 1mm diameters.
When it comes to eyes I carry:
figure 8 eyes,
although not so popular now wide band springs from 1.1mm to 2.6mm.
Enclosed (double eye) springs from 0.9mm to 2.6mm.
Heavy duty springs from 1.3mm to 2.1mm
Traditional side eyes from 0.06mm to a whopping 1.5mm
Not to mention all the different finishes I now have to use.
Main reason I source everything in the UK now is I have such a varied product base, No longer is a fishing float just a fishing float!!!!!!