# Getting Started with Hirst Arts?



## shadowlight (Feb 27, 2005)

I've seen all the cool buildings you guys have made with the Hirst Arts molds and I'm finally going to cave and buy two molds.  So my question is what are the two I should start with?

My plan is to make some basic modular dungeon pieces (1" for D&D, not Wizkids stuff).

It seems like the most basic molds to start with are:
     #70: Fieldstone Wall Mold 
     #260: Flagstone Floor Tile

Any feedback if that's the right starting point?

Where do you go from there?

Any other suggestions for geting started with this stuff?

Thanks!


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## pogre (Feb 27, 2005)

Those two are the ones I would suggest. I have a tutorial on how I make dungeon rooms on my miniatures thread.

Spend the money to use a decent dental plaster or Excaliber. It is a bargain for the resilience your pieces will have.


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## shadowlight (Feb 27, 2005)

pogre said:
			
		

> Those two are the ones I would suggest.



Whew!  Good thing!  My wife just ordered them for me as an early GMs day gift! 



			
				pogre said:
			
		

> I have a tutorial on how I make dungeon rooms on my miniatures thread.



Yes, that was the thing that pushed me over the edge to finally pick these up.  I don't do much with minis, but I really enjoy making terrain.  I'd seen these at conventions, but seeing your use of them in non-wargaming situations was the last straw 



			
				pogre said:
			
		

> Spend the money to use a decent dental plaster or Excaliber. It is a bargain for the resilience your pieces will have.



Is there a good place to get this online?  My father-in-law is a dentist, but he lives on the other side of the country...


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## pogre (Feb 27, 2005)

I get mine through Dentist Bid Supply Inc. through a local dentist. Excalibur is readily available online from a number of sources. Put up a query over on the Hirst Arts boards and you should get lots of leads.


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## shadowlight (Feb 28, 2005)

pogre, what brand of dental plaster do you use?


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## shadowlight (Feb 28, 2005)

Oh... I just reread your post and it looks like Excalibur _is_ the brand.


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## pogre (Feb 28, 2005)

shadowlight said:
			
		

> Oh... I just reread your post and it looks like Excalibur _is_ the brand.




No, sorry for not being clearer: I use Die Keen Green by Modern Materials. Excaliber is a different brand that is supposed to be similar to dental plaster in terms of its properties and resilience - I do not prefer it as much, but it is about $10.00 cheaper per 50 lbs.

Here is a review of a new product from the Hirst's boards I'm not familiar with, but it looks promising:



> Hi fellow Hirst Arts addicts.
> 
> I requested a sample of the new casting stone produced by Garreco, called Merlin's magic. Two 100g packets arrived yesterday and I used the stuff today. I cast 3 molds: one I made that has super-fine details, the basic fieldstone dungeon mold, and one of the Gothic accessory molds.
> 
> ...




Another review:


> OK,
> 
> I've been using Excalibur, and when my box ran out I decided to try something different. Now, don't get me wrong, I loved Excalibur, but I have bubble issues, and the thickness of the plaster made that even worse. When I thinned the plaster down, I got a concave shape on the back of the bricks after scraping that made it tough to build taller structures.
> 
> ...




More info:



> Merlin's Magic
> is a unique pourable castle stone designed for the Hobby/Craft enthusiast. It pours into molds without vibration yielding a dense, smooth, bubblefree cast. Added mold release agent allows intricate pieces to be demolded without breakage. With a very low expansion at .06% and a hight compressive strenght at 14,000psi, Merlin'sMagic is a perfect material when high strength and accurate detail are desired.
> $ 42.00/50lb box
> Current Colors available Grey , Dark Grey, Tan, White Working on Blue and Green.
> ...




Die-Keen Green seems a little more tolerant of H2O variations and is the reason I prefer it to the Excalibur.


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## shadowlight (Feb 28, 2005)

Thanks pogre!
I'm currently exploiting all of my family dental ties to see if I can get some cheap plaster.

The Merlin's Magic sounds interesting, but it's a little more expensive than Excalibur.  I sent an email to Clintsales to see if they'd send me a sample 

Also, I found this great comparison of Plaster of Paris, Excalibur, and Hydrocal:
http://p068.ezboard.com/fhirstartsproductreviews.showMessage?topicID=380.topic


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## shadowlight (Mar 1, 2005)

Sweet!  My Molds shipped out today!  Cindy at Clint Sales is sending me samples of Excalibur and Merlin's Magic to boot!


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## pogre (Mar 1, 2005)

Excellent!

Welcome to the addiction!


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## shadowlight (Mar 3, 2005)

I started a new thread to chronicle my misadventures here:
http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=123095


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