Feel free to improvise .
Tools, containers , etc.
( Solid grots w/o the planting cavities are my fav.)
Tufa recipes are in the Hypertufa 101 Sticky Thread
If you want to carve your grot you may want to consider using vermiculite in place of perlite.
Meg's site is not only informative but is also entertaining.
http://wyleesee.50megs.com/whats_new.html
Most important is use safety measures ALWAYS !
Grots for starters
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