Hirst Arts is a small business owned and operated by Bruce and Joanne Hirst. They make all of the molds by hand to ensure that each is of the highest quality. This is one of the few companies I deal with that you reach the owner every time you call. I called Bruce to ask him if I could review a few of his molds. He took the time to find out what I would be using the product for and guided me to the correct molds. He was also more than happy to discuses at length what plaster I should use along with proper mixing and pouring technique for each mold. This was some of the best customer service I think I have ever received. 

Now, I know I was told the correct way, but I do this from a guy’s perspective. So I went down to Mega Lo Mart (thanks Hank Hill) and proceeded to buy the lowest grade of plaster I could find. I mixed the plaster by eye, thin milkshake I know. I mixed and poured almost nine pounds of powdered plaster over the course of 30 days. I rinsed and powdered the molds at the end of every use. These molds look as good now as they did the day they arrived. This speaks to the quality of the rubber used to make these molds.

In our conversation Bruce explained to me the rubber he uses for his molds. Bruce told me he refuses to use cheap silicone rubber, like the kind you find at your hobby shop, this fails and will start to crack after about 3 months. The rubber he uses cost over two hundred dollars a gallon.     

As you can see from the photos, these castings look GREAT. On Hirsh’s web page there are painting ideas, and complete instructions for use and care of their products. I love these products, and have found a great way to add realistic looking stone fences, cobblestone walkways and flagstone paths to my track diorama. I urge you to contact them if you like what you see, or have any of you own ideas for use. Remember you get what you pay for. There are many less expensive alternatives out there but none that can brag of making exact blocks (within 1/1000ths of an inch) every time. This quality shows up in the finished product.      

With kind regards,
Franklin Nichols