help/advice needed please

Wanting to build the attached mantel and overmantel for our library here at home-we just discovered this one. It is "cast-stone" - as far as we can tell, this material is crushed sandstone (sand??) or limestone, bonded with some agent and poured into casts.

While we'd like to make ours look like exactly this one, it isn't 100% necessary - we more, just want to achieve the same feel. I started out thinking I would make it from MDF and architectural cornicing made from polyurethane and render it with one of the renders available, though have gone away from that due to "booming" when struck with the palm, (as it will be basically hollow) ... also due to the render probably not really looking/feeling like stone and of course, the fact that MDF is flammable, though we won’t be having a roaring fire in it, rather a small gas log fire inside a grate.

my questions:

Does anyone know of a firm making cast stone products, preferably in Melbourne?

Does anyone have other ideas on how to make this?

Could I make this from a natural stone product that is available in Melbourne?

Would real stone pavers work for the majority of this, with only manmade products being used for the details?

I have never worked stone, though have seen others doing it and sandstone and limestone seem to be very soft, therefore possibly pretty easy to make the cornices, corner details and corbels.

Any help most gratefully received

cheers

Try here.
http://www.urbanstone.com.au/

Allan

thanks! have gone through their www - an ok range, though perhaps not in the sizes/profiles we need, though will check them personally out on Monday

Thanks again

Aerated concrete (heble) may be of some help.
light carves easily.

thanks - I have been considering it because, once in situ, it would basically have the mass needed to achieve the right "feel" .... unfortunately its hard to get in VIC as Boral basically crucified the price of their besser product when hebel was intro'd into this market......

thanks again