First Accurate Mold

[geargnasher]

Dave, it's on the AM "FAQ" page if memory serves.

Gear

[Bardo]

I just ordered my first Accurate Mold end of last week. And Tom replied to my several emails very quick and answered all the questions. He also sent me an e-mail when he received my payment. So my experience so far is very good and has been excellent communication. But I can't comment on quality of work yet because I haven't received it yet. I was planning on it taking 3+ weeks but maybe I will get it sooner.

Bardo

[Dan Cash]

[QUOTE=onesonek;1435939]Couldn't have said it better Gear!

also
"As to the line of communication with Tom, ...... so he uses email exclusively. I've never been more than two days without a response from him."

QUOTE]

I surely like vocal commo with people but with email, there is always a record of who said what; valuable in avoiding missundestandings.

[onesonek]

Thanks Gear, I guess I haven't been to that page,,,,,my only question's to Tom have been something like this.......
"Tom, here's my bore, groove, and throat measurements, I would like it to weigh about this much with this nose profile, and with this alloy,,,,what do you think"?
And a little bit later I have a drawing in my email that looks just like I envisioned it.
It can't get any more simple, unless it's already in his catalog.

[grubbylabs]

While I am not sure he had even started my mold yet but I ordered a mold then had second thoughts on the diameter. I sent him an email after hours and I had a response saying the project was on hold for me. That's as good as it can get for communication and customer service as far as I can see. I tell him what I want and he either adds it to the catalog or points it out in the catalog. again what more could you ask for. Either way for a guy to take the time and tool up to do a one off production every time some one asks is above and beyond what I expect since it seems to be a lot of work.

I don't doubt he may have a hick up once in a while, but I have a hard time believing he would not take care of it. He told me on my first mold that if I was not happy with it when I got it and tried it he would buy it back. Again better than expected customer service.

Keep up the good work Tom.

[rmk]

Wow! I guess I stepped on a lot of peoples toes. I thought the purpose of this community was to share information. I am sorry if some feel I am attacking Tom, I did not and do not. As I said in the e-mail my experience had been perfect till that one transaction as seems to have been the experience of many members. I am glad Tom included the e-mail, I had chosen not to include it in my post as it was a personal communication and I feared my motivation for sharing it unilaterally would be questioned. However I stand by it and feel that it speaks volumes to my point. I did not ask for anything I just offered Tom feedback which I had assumed we all valued. I certainly didn't intend to start a pissing match. If all we want from each other is reinforcement of our assumptions and beliefs then why are we here? I will take some picture and hope that you will be satisfied as to why I found "What Hole? Where?" a response that puts to question the issue of customer service. As I said I will get some picture made and then hopefully there will be an end to this. Give me a couple of days. Mike

[onesonek]

Tom is surely capable of producing a fine mold. I got my first from him recently and thought I had found my mould maker. Finally able to replace/refine 7 Lee moulds. My Lee's have served me well for function but I have always dreamed of replacing them with more refined tools. I ordered another mould in brass as I have never used it and thought I might as well find out what I prefer. Mold arrived plenty quick but the workmanship and quality I expected was lacking in that mould. I e-mailed my disappointment, but only recieved a curt two word response from him. Anyhow...potential for a fine mould, absolutely, customer service if you don't get it, well... not so much. Maybe he was having a bad week or something but I have heard nothing more from him and don't expect to from his lack of concern. Hope your experiences continue to live up to his ability and not to his lack of consistancy or his disrespect for this customer. . Good luck and take care.

As I said, not of his character,,,I see no disrespect in his reply to you. I'm thinking a picture sent to him showing what you were questioning would have been in order.

I have had only one interaction with a customer where my response was close to two words, so I think this is in reference to a complaint I received, quoted below:

“Greetings Tom, I received the brass mold you made for me (order #2407) and as was the case with my first mold from you I appreciate your response and promptness, a great mold by the way. I do however have feedback I would like to pass on. I may well expect more than I am entitled to expect but I have to say that I am very disappointed in the condition of the mold block. It has what appears to be a misdrilled hole ( I am not a machinist so I may be talking out of my wrong end). I can not, by looking, imagine what tool made it. At any rate it really gouged into the block.
Which is it, a hole or a gouge? again, a pic would have kept any controversey at bay.

It may well not effect the utility of the mold and as I say it may be an unreasonable expectation on my part still, I am troubled enough by it that I will not use the mold. I have tried to cast with it but it just bothers me knowing it is there so I have never used it and likely never will.
"not use, tried to cast, never used, never will" ?????? What

I build custom furniture and it gives me chills to imagine how my customers would react to a similar defect in their project. I assume you quality check your work so it was either missed or considered to be unimportant either one being unacceptable to me.
Wow,,,, that's pretty condescending, yet manage to elevate ones own self worth, or values.

Mistakes we all make, still You are building a fine reputation and I assume it matters to you so I pass it along. I doubt I am the only person who would be put off by such a thing. As I say, every one of my customers would. Thanks for reading my ramblings. I hope you take it the spirit it is offered as feedback.”

My response was these three words:

“What hole? Where?”

Did you even contact him after Tom asked ?

Does anyone here think it unreasonable for me to request details before recommending action?

Wow! I guess I stepped on a lot of peoples toes. I thought the purpose of this community was to share information. Yes it is, but your post is rather inflammatory, and without a pic, so in essence, the burden of proof is on you.

I am sorry if some feel I am attacking Tom, I did not and do not. As I said in the e-mail my experience had been perfect till that one transaction as seems to have been the experience of many members. I am glad Tom included the e-mail, I had chosen not to include it in my post as it was a personal communication and I feared my motivation for sharing it unilaterally would be questioned. However I stand by it and feel that it speaks volumes to my point.

I think it speaks volumes in Tom trying to resolve a possible issue. Without a pic of the hole, gouge or whatever, what is he supose to say or where to start

I did not ask for anything I just offered Tom feedback which I had assumed we all valued. I certainly didn't intend to start a pissing match.

No PM, just looking for fairness,,,,, he replied and it appears you dropped it after that, until posting here. If there is a problem, it don't appear that you gave him a chance to correct it. So negative feedback without proof, or an attempt of some sort of resolution, is an attack.

If all we want from each other is reinforcement of our assumptions and beliefs then why are we here? I will take some picture and hope that you will be satisfied as to why I found "What Hole? Where?" a response that puts to question the issue of customer service.
Simple questions to me,,,what more do you expect?
I didn't see anything that would concern me of his service or character there!

As I said I will get some picture made and then hopefully there will be an end to this. Give me a couple of days. Mike

A couple days is a long time to leave someones reputation hanging,,,, takes 2 minutes to take photos and upload them. In the interest of the board community,,,,well it's your call I guess.

[grubbylabs]

Sorry I just don't have any negative feed back for Tom. So I am not sure why you would want me to post some. All we have said is that he has provided us with quality products and customer service.

If you have constructive criticism then by all means provide it. But know that on a forum it is customary to provide photos and other evidence as well as not to come onto a forum where some one obviously has a good reputation and post something inflammatory without said evidence, especially when you are new to the forum.

As others have stated, you probably should have provided a picture or pictures of your concerns or perhaps returned the mold and given Tom a chance to make it right with you. I am not sure how most people do things but if I have a problem with a store or other service provider I try to let them make it right. If they fail to make it right then it is game on and I don't come to a forum like this one and make accusations without providing all necessary details.

I truly do hope that you find us (the forum) helpful and entertaining. I consider my self still new here and I can tell you that there is hardly a better group of people on any forum. I do spend quite a bit of time cruising several different forums and I have yet to run into a group as nice these folks. I have been given free boolits as well as molds from some of the folks here. I hope that you don't think we are attacking you but rather we are trying to figure out what happened and hopefully help you get an issue resolved. I think I speak for every one who has one when I say that his molds are top notch and that you should give the mold a try. You won't be disappointed.

Good luck and don't be a stranger.

Steve.

[odis]

Wow! I guess I stepped on a lot of peoples toes. I thought the purpose of this community was to share information. I am sorry if some feel I am attacking Tom, I did not and do not. As I said in the e-mail my experience had been perfect till that one transaction as seems to have been the experience of many members. I am glad Tom included the e-mail, I had chosen not to include it in my post as it was a personal communication and I feared my motivation for sharing it unilaterally would be questioned. However I stand by it and feel that it speaks volumes to my point. I did not ask for anything I just offered Tom feedback which I had assumed we all valued. I certainly didn't intend to start a pissing match. If all we want from each other is reinforcement of our assumptions and beliefs then why are we here? I will take some picture and hope that you will be satisfied as to why I found "What Hole? Where?" a response that puts to question the issue of customer service. As I said I will get some picture made and then hopefully there will be an end to this. Give me a couple of days. Mike

I would think you would send the photos to Tom and ask him about them. I'm brand new to casting but have shot nothing but lead in my handguns for 30 years. The boolits I'm shooting now that I've cast with accurate molds are the best. I own 3 of his molds and will buy more.

[geargnasher]

Wow! I guess I stepped on a lot of peoples toes. [/B]Not mine, but I have an interest in fairness, and you certainly seem to have been unfair to Tom regardless of product defect. [/B]I thought the purpose of this community was to share information. It is, and that's exactly what we're doing. If you have negative information, it can be shared constructively so that all benefit, including the one needing correction. I am sorry if some feel I am attacking Tom, I did not and do not. I don't see how falsely accusing someone of failing to meet your standards, when it appears to me that it was YOU who failed to provide reasonable effort in resolving this, could be seen any other way. As I said in the e-mail my experience had been perfect till that one transaction as seems to have been the experience of many members. I am glad Tom included the e-mail, I had chosen not to include it in my post as it was a personal communication and I feared my motivation for sharing it unilaterally would be questioned. However I stand by it and feel that it speaks volumes to my point. I don't think anyone sees it the way you do. You had a complaint, he asked for specific information because he obviously didn't feel there was anything wrong with the mould, you never pursued it further, now you want to run his reputation for both product and service down. No one who's posted here besides you seems to feel that that's a Just way to go about things. I did not ask for anything I just offered Tom feedback which I had assumed we all valued. We do value feedback, very very much, especially constructive criticizm. Key word "constructive". I certainly didn't intend to start a pissing match. Not a PM, just a bunch of decent fellas questioning what appears to be an unwarranted attack on someone we all take to be a decent fella too. If all we want from each other is reinforcement of our assumptions and beliefs then why are we here? This was never about belief on our parts, only facts. I will take some picture and hope that you will be satisfied as to why I found "What Hole? Where?" a response that puts to question the issue of customer service. Let me ask you a question. In your business, at what point do you think a customer has the right to picket your business? Say someone buys a chair you made, and when they get it home they notice the awful router skip marks on the back support that the light in the shop didn't expose. They email you and inquire about it, you reply "What marks, where?"and you never hear back from them.. A few weeks later you read a letter to the editor in the local paper where this person is sharing their experience and says you might be a fine furniture maker, but THEIR experience was terrible, and you have no interest in addressing quality issues with your product. It's the same thing, how would that make you feel, regardless of whether it was really router marks or just irredescent wood grain pattern?? I said I will get some picture made and then hopefully there will be an end to this. [BI sincerely hope so. If there is a problem, I'm certain Tom will take care of it immediately, given a chance to.[/B] Give me a couple of days. Mike

I think you owe it to yourself, to Tom, and the rest of us to make haste with this situation. I also fear that we won't be hearing from you again, and I hope that's not true. I hope you get some satisfaction with your complaint, and furthermore stick around to share with this fine group of people. Like a family we don't always see eye-to-eye, and sometimes we bicker and fuss, but in the end we're all on the same team.

Gear

[Beagler]

I just got my first from Tom. Its a 73-770S Full bore 12 gauge. Its really perdy! It cast a really nice lookin projectile. I showed the guys at work one of the slugs and they think I'm nuts for shootin it. They asked what I'm using it for. I told them for shooting different types of CANS.

[onesonek]

I think you owe it to yourself, to Tom, and the rest of us to make haste with this situation. I also fear that we won't be hearing from you again, and I hope that's not true. I hope you get some satisfaction with your complaint, and furthermore stick around to share with this fine group of people. Like a family we don't always see eye-to-eye, and sometimes we bicker and fuss, but in the end we're all on the same team.

Gear

I agree on all points! Thanks Gear, for bringing them up!!

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I am glad Tom included the e-mail, I had chosen not to include it in my post as it was a personal communication and I feared my motivation for sharing it unilaterally would be questioned. However I stand by it and feel that it speaks volumes to my point.

I respectfully disagree.

I did not ask for anything I just offered Tom feedback which I had assumed we all valued ...Mike

If your mold has an errant hole,
I would surely be asking for something if I were you.

I would also think you'd respect the Maker, who truely seems
to have pride in his work, by giving him the chance to make it right.
To do so, you should send him a good clear photo of the issue, or return
the mold if it is so hideous to you, that you can't use it.
And not just end the conversation after being asked a question.

Wouldn't you want the same, if a customer of yours had an issue
with a piece of furnature you made ?
Jon

[nanuk]

Funny how we can all see something in a different light

I think Geargnasher nailed it

Let's say I had bought that chair that Gear had talked about, and was a lurker of the "Custom Furniture Making" forum that you are a regular contributer to.
And you many great dealings with the members there and had many great comments about your workmanship, would YOU accept, without a challenge, my negative comments about ONE issue that I felt cost me $$$$ but had failed to follow up, but just use the opportunity to post said comments?

rmk, the ball is in Your court, Sir, and I look forward to the pics, and Tom's response!

That would be the Fair thing to do

[white eagle]

I doubt very seriously yo will see another post
from him about this matter

[ColColt]

To date I've just got one 44 cal mold from Tom and upon opening the box I looked at it and was happy as a baby in a barrel full of tit*ies. It was beautiful, cast marvelous boolits and the 260 gr RNFP from this mold is the most accurate boolit I have for this caliber...zero problems or complaints-only accolades.

[happyret65]

I have 3 molds from Tom and one of the first to buy his product. All have been outstanding and the service was quick and satisfactory. I remember once Tom told an individual that if the mold wasn't what he thought it should be - keep it. When my first mold arrived I had to call Tom and tell him to cash my check (weeks later). Pictures sure would have been better than trying to step on someone's reputation without proof.

[cajun shooter]

I first had dealings with Tom close to two years ago now. No one on this forum had said a word about him at that time. I was on a forum where one guy told another about a mould maker in Utah.
I contacted Tom and advised him that I was trying to develop an improved design of the original Lyman bullet meant for the 44-40. I also advised Tom that I shot 100% BP in SASS matches.
We talked about mould materials and I told him that in all my years of casting(1970) I had never used brass. He stated that it would be the perfect material for my project.
My first mould arrived and after casting about 50 bullets which were all the same but IIRC they were on the small side. I called and asked Tom if I could send the mould back and have it opened up some. His answer was to not worry about it that he would have another mould on it's way. This was Monday and on Friday I was looking at the new mould. My first drop was perfect and I called Tom to order another just like it.
I find that casting with a two mould system works much better than a single mould.
I asked Tom about paying for the first mould and he said keep it and enjoy yourself.
I wrote up a thread on Tom and his skilled workmanship which I had only seen by one other mould maker. Before you could turn around there were Accolade stories about Tom every day in the forum. I even got a good friend of mine in Pa. to order from Tom and he has done several for John Kort now. My bullet design was the 43-210B for the 44-40 cartridge and it is perfect in both revolver and rifle.
When I read the OP of this thread I knew right away that a large chunk of information was missing. Tom is a man of Honesty, Integrity, and a skilled craftsman and there is no way that he sent out a bad mould, nor would he be crass in his answer about it. I sir think that you are trying to stink up a fine man. Later David

[Heavy lead]

Wow! I guess I stepped on a lot of peoples toes. I thought the purpose of this community was to share information. I am sorry if some feel I am attacking Tom, I did not and do not. As I said in the e-mail my experience had been perfect till that one transaction as seems to have been the experience of many members. I am glad Tom included the e-mail, I had chosen not to include it in my post as it was a personal communication and I feared my motivation for sharing it unilaterally would be questioned. However I stand by it and feel that it speaks volumes to my point. I did not ask for anything I just offered Tom feedback which I had assumed we all valued. I certainly didn't intend to start a pissing match. If all we want from each other is reinforcement of our assumptions and beliefs then why are we here? I will take some picture and hope that you will be satisfied as to why I found "What Hole? Where?" a response that puts to question the issue of customer service. As I said I will get some picture made and then hopefully there will be an end to this. Give me a couple of days. Mike

You are correct, this is a community to share information, my first point is you have shared no information, in fact the most in depth information that was shared was the email that you had sent Tom that indicated more than one troubling comments as to a possible non-issue.
I will admit, I'm a fan, I have three of Tom's moulds and they all cast great, I cannot imagine if I had received a mould that appeared to have a defect on in, still I wouldn't have cast a few with it.
Also I see no issue with his response to your email as well, you allude in your email you want to give constructive critisism, however offer no specific problem, only a general, admittedly ignorant, comment about an extra hole.

I'll buy more of Tom's moulds, in a heartbeat, and I'll betcha if there's a problem he'll take care of it too.

By the way, one of the last moulds I got from him apparantly had "an extra hole", as well, however, I still casted with it, and also figured out what it was for, by golly a set screw was stuffed in the bottom of it, a small design change from the previous two, and absolutely NO problem with it, the mould is a work of art, but more importantly is ugly, stained, and used now (not abused, so don't flame me, just not spit polished anymore) and produces boolits and groups that are worthy of photography, just the way I like it.

[odis]

but only recieved a curt two word response from him

I call this dirty pool. My first thought was you received a caps locked obscenity but it turns out it was a 3 word question. I hope I'm wrong but it seems you where trying to stir something up.