Charlie Darnall Service!

[Dale in Louisiana]

On Saturday September 7, Charlie and I exchanged emails about converting my .30 cal Freechex 3 for 8mm gaschecks. He gave me a price for the conversion. I Paypal'ed him On Saturday afternoon.

Monday, September 9, when I opened my mailbox, there was a box from Charlie.

I am more than a bit amazed.

Charlie is on my list of 'good people'.

dale in Louisiana

[Ben]

Charlie is a real class act fellow !

Ben

[Wally]

Charlie is a real class act fellow !

Ben

Charlie has treated me right on more than one occasion....

[jimb16]

When I ordered a check maker for .22 boolits, he said he was temporarily out of stock, but he would get me one ASAP. 4 days later, it arrived! I figure it had to be 3 days in the mail! That's what I call service.

[sundog]

New definition for 'just in time delivery'.

[silhouetteshooter]

You guys must live a charmed life. I bought one of his chex2 units and it works good. I tried to buy a
35 cal unit and after a few e mail discussions,e.i, material,etc, I ordered one. To my dismay, he refused to sell to me.Something about wasting my time and money.Huh? Strange business policy. To his credit he makes a good unit, but weird behavior. Now I need to look and buy elsewhere.
Anyone have any ideas who makes a good die?

[tjones]

You guys must live a charmed life. I bought one of his chex2 units and it works good. I tried to buy a
35 cal unit and after a few e mail discussions,e.i, material,etc, I ordered one. To my dismay, he refused to sell to me.Something about wasting my time and money.Huh? Strange business policy. To his credit he makes a good unit, but weird behavior. Now I need to look and buy elsewhere.
Anyone have any ideas who makes a good die?

You joined this Sept. and already have one of his tools and he refused to sell another to you. Mighty strange! Sounds like case of first class miscommunications! Wasting your time?

[Dale in Louisiana]

I don't understand, either. Charlie and I exchanged a few emails on a Saturday and I did a PayPal and had my stuff in the mailbox on Monday.

I have a Freechex 2 and a Freechex 3. I needed to convert my .30 caliber Freechex 3 so I could make 8mm checks. that was the flurry of emails. Some people would've said 'just buy another one'. Charlie said that I could get parts to convert back and forth for a significantly lower number.

dale in Louisiana

[Sagebrush7]

My two cents worth! Charlie makes a fine product. That said don't tell Charlie you want to make checks out of 1/4 aluminum plate, he has designed his tools to work with certain materials. He just received a 22 III back that WAS COMPLETELY JAMMED WITH 25 THOUSANDTH MATERIAL. Why did that jam? Could it be we don't listen. Charlie will bend over backwards. Don't take advantage of a good man! Listen and learn he has a wealth of knowledge to share! James Sage

[yonky]

My two cents worth! Charlie makes a fine product. That said don't tell Charlie you want to make checks out of 1/4 aluminum plate, he has designed his tools to work with certain materials. He just received a 22 III back that WAS COMPLETELY JAMMED WITH 25 THOUSANDTH MATERIAL. Why did that jam? Could it be we don't listen. Charlie will bend over backwards. Don't take advantage of a good man! Listen and learn he has a wealth of knowledge to share! James Sage

i must agree with james here,charlie includes sample strips in with the tool,as well as instructions as to what thickness to use,his tools are designed to take the thickness stated..its not rocket science..

[500MAG]

I've got two of his check makers and am waiting for him to start making the 50 cal unit again. Like Yonky said, he includes samples of the material to use and is glad to direct you where to get it. He stands behind his work and absolutely does not question you returning the item if your not happy. He is a standup and very intelligent guy.

[357shooter]

Charlie's service is amazing. His products are excellent and flat work! I have three tools currently, sold of two others. Only because I no longer load those calibers.

Use the right thickness material, watch the video on coil and foil (I think on Yonkies site) and you can produce a pile of quality checks in no time.

[Nocturnal Stumblebutt]

I too have had great service from Charlie, he got me my Freechex 2 in 2 days and even explained to me how to open mine up a bit so the checks wouldn't come out as tight.

[Mohavedog]

My dealing with Charlie goes back about a year. i was working with a problem mold that had a very short gc shank. He worked with me far above necessary to provide a product that would work. He patiently taught me a lot about the requirements needed to get the results, as well as supplying supplement product without charge, even though his original was correct for normal use. I would just say that Charlie will go far and beyond what is needed to supply a correct product. To the poster who had a negative report, i can only say that somewhere the communication broke down, and I just can't believe Charlie would treat a customer rudely without a reason.

[Wally]

I have six of his Freechex II tools...I bought them some years ago. With most of them I paid as much for them as one box of Hornady GC's (incl. the shipping). Had a minor issue with a 7mm tool and Charlie replaced it... I enjoy shooting the 7mm Rem Mag with cast bullets and home made GCs. I recapture the lead and the Aluminum GCs are cheap to make. They shoot as good as factory and and IMHO go on a lot easier.

[HamGunner]

My dealing with Charlie goes back about a year. i was working with a problem mold that had a very short gc shank. He worked with me far above necessary to provide a product that would work. He patiently taught me a lot about the requirements needed to get the results, as well as supplying supplement product without charge, even though his original was correct for normal use. I would just say that Charlie will go far and beyond what is needed to supply a correct product. To the poster who had a negative report, i can only say that somewhere the communication broke down, and I just can't believe Charlie would treat a customer rudely without a reason.

I agree. I have dealt with Charlie several times over the years and he has been quite helpful and what I felt was very patient explaining to me, at least the first time that I bought one of his tools, of just how it should work, types of metal, etc. I suppose that if someone was wanting to do something that was really out of the ordinary, he might not want to mess with it as it does take a lot of time to set up the tooling to alter anything after regular production has been set up.

I bought one of his first .22 Cal. tools and he contacted me out of the blue to see how it was working out. I had a few problems getting it broken in, but I had it working ok and I told him it was just fine as it was. He insisted that he was going to send me another anvil as he thought that his early design was not quite correct. Great guy if you ask me. Very busy guy of course.

[Richard kinsey]

How do I get in contact with "Charlie" ???

[yonky]

How do I get in contact with "Charlie" ???

Freechex.net

[jmort]

"... after a few e mail discussions,e.i, material,etc, I ordered one. To my dismay, he refused to sell to me.Something about wasting my time and money.Huh? Strange business policy."

I think you are confusing Charlie with Frozone, because that is Frozone's business model. Charlie emailed me, gave me his number and insisted I call him and spent a lot of his time talking to me about my specific needs. He is as good as it gets. Will buy more Freechex.

[Love Life]

His service is top notch. I ordered a freechex II on a Friday, and was making my own gas checks on Monday. Great tool, but he needs to have a should on the punch rod instead of an O ring.

[swheeler]

Charlie is a diamond in the rough, just plain good people.

[DukeInFlorida]

I've had a few wonderful dealings with Charlie. I had a FreeChex III for 500 S&W Magnum, and wanted to be able to make the outside diameter .503 instead of .500 (which was what I originally specifically ordered. My 500 magnum shoots wonderfully when sized to .500). He walked me through the simple step to get the OD of the checks a bit larger. He even offered to do the resizing for me. I later found out that he could get me a set of swappable inserts so that I could make 500 s&w magnums or 50 BMG checks in the same tool. That saved me a LOT of $$$, and he did the work in mere days!

I'm very very happy with my dealings with Charlie, and with the quality of his products.

[JeffinNZ]

If Charlie refused to supply a gadget he would have a 200% solid reason.

[Mohavedog]

Charlie is a diamond in the rough, just plain good people.

No,no, not even close to "rough". The finely faceted "Hope diamond" for sure!!!!

[Slow Elk 45/70]

+1 on Charlie is #1 IN MY experience with the equipment he sells, IMHO ,:bigsmyl2:

[silhouetteshooter]

No, I am not confusing him with someone else. Maybe I pissed him off..asking too many questions about thickness of material...where to find it of which I finally did after further inquiries. I rather enjoyed the few conversations we had; he has replaced a part at no charge...expedient service. When I ordered the 35, he said it would take 8 weeks plus heat treating. When the 8 weeks ended, I wrote, said I wanted to order a die and his reply was; and I quote:
"They were finished about a week ago. However, after speaking to you, you did not have reasonable source of metal. I also understood that finding the proper metal was just too much of an effort and a serious waste of your time and money. 357's are the most sensitive to metal thickness and type of FreeChex family of tools."
Giving your previous problems and the sensitivity of the tools I felt it best not to bother you.Thank you,Charlie.

Now tell me. What kind of answer is that? Very direct,of course. Maybe he feels I am a Klutz of which I am not, and that I would defame his product. I believe I was being reasonable and asking basic questions about the product and usage of material. Let me make this clear: I never was pejorative. Again, I believe his is a good product; I would and have promoted it and I would buy one of his chexIII in 35 immediately because it is a one-step procedure. Several of you have spoken highly of your recent dealings.Not to belabor the point, but, it's just that I'm wondering if I am the only one who has had this kind of association?
One of my initial inquiries was; Does anyone use another manufacturer, such as Corbin,or Pat Marlin; and how well do they work?
Enough said of this and the matter is closed. I harbor no ill-will.

[milprileb]

Check maker tool is outstanding and so is his service.

He won't sell you the tool if it won't fit your needs ... that is a fine business model.
That is what ethics is all about.

[jmort]

"He won't sell you the tool if it won't fit your needs ... that is a fine business model.
That is what ethics is all about."

That is the best way to put it.

[rattletrap1970]

I haven't purchased a freechex tool yet.. Not because I don't think it works or anything, I'm just waiting to be flush with the cash. What I will tell you, is I have designed progressive punch tooling in my past and the material you are working on and the thickness of said material is very important to the proper function of a punch die. If the material thickness is say.. .012 thick copper... The clearances in the punch are made to properly form and shear material with the properties of .012 copper. Material selection and adherence is paramount to the proper functioning of a tool such as this. Just something to keep in mind.

[Mike Hughes]

No, I am not confusing him with someone else. Maybe I pissed him off..asking too many questions about thickness of material...where to find it of which I finally did after further inquiries. I rather enjoyed the few conversations we had; he has replaced a part at no charge...expedient service. When I ordered the 35, he said it would take 8 weeks plus heat treating. When the 8 weeks ended, I wrote, said I wanted to order a die and his reply was; and I quote:
"They were finished about a week ago. However, after speaking to you, you did not have reasonable source of metal. I also understood that finding the proper metal was just too much of an effort and a serious waste of your time and money. 357's are the most sensitive to metal thickness and type of FreeChex family of tools."
Giving your previous problems and the sensitivity of the tools I felt it best not to bother you.Thank you,Charlie.

Now tell me. What kind of answer is that? Very direct,of course. Maybe he feels I am a Klutz of which I am not, and that I would defame his product. I believe I was being reasonable and asking basic questions about the product and usage of material. Let me make this clear: I never was pejorative. Again, I believe his is a good product; I would and have promoted it and I would buy one of his chexIII in 35 immediately because it is a one-step procedure. Several of you have spoken highly of your recent dealings.Not to belabor the point, but, it's just that I'm wondering if I am the only one who has had this kind of association?
One of my initial inquiries was; Does anyone use another manufacturer, such as Corbin,or Pat Marlin; and how well do they work?
Enough said of this and the matter is closed. I harbor no ill-will.

I can't help but think there is something missing from this story. Charlie's service has always amazed me. Here is one example. December 23rd of last year (the day before Christmas Eve), I sent Charlie a email concerning fitment issues on a 44 boolit that had a undersized shank dia. Email was sent to him at 12:18 PM, at 1:13 he replied back with his phone # and said to call ASAP because he was leaving in 2 hours to go to New Mexico. I called him right away and answered a few questions. At 1:29 PM I received a email from the post office with a tracking # for package shipped. 1:38 PM, another email from Charlie, stating that "a smaller mandrel is on the way, there is always a solution"
WOW!!! This was the best service I have ever experienced with any vendor of any sort. I have bought 2 more freechex since then. Currently have 22, 30, 44, and 50 cal.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

No, I am not confusing him with someone else. Maybe I pissed him off..asking too many questions about thickness of material...where to find it of which I finally did after further inquiries. I rather enjoyed the few conversations we had; he has replaced a part at no charge...expedient service. When I ordered the 35, he said it would take 8 weeks plus heat treating. When the 8 weeks ended, I wrote, said I wanted to order a die and his reply was; and I quote:
"They were finished about a week ago. However, after speaking to you, you did not have reasonable source of metal. I also understood that finding the proper metal was just too much of an effort and a serious waste of your time and money. 357's are the most sensitive to metal thickness and type of FreeChex family of tools."
Giving your previous problems and the sensitivity of the tools I felt it best not to bother you.Thank you,Charlie.

Now tell me. What kind of answer is that? Very direct,of course. Maybe he feels I am a Klutz of which I am not, and that I would defame his product. I believe I was being reasonable and asking basic questions about the product and usage of material. Let me make this clear: I never was pejorative. Again, I believe his is a good product; I would and have promoted it and I would buy one of his chexIII in 35 immediately because it is a one-step procedure. Several of you have spoken highly of your recent dealings. Not to belabor the point, but, it's just that I'm wondering if I am the only one who has had this kind of association?
One of my initial inquiries was; Does anyone use another manufacturer, such as Corbin,or Pat Marlin; and how well do they work?
Enough said of this and the matter is closed. I harbor no ill-will.

I believe you did have a problem in communications with Charlie, possibly very similar with your post to us castboolit members. See red highlights, You ask us questions then before your writing is final, you close the matter before anyone can answer. Seems you are having a conversation with yourself.


I have had great dealings with Charlie Darnell and excellent service from a 22cal FCIII tool/dies that he made.

I have had great dealings with Pat Green and excellent service from plainbase Patmarlins™ Checkmaker™ tool/dies he made.

I've had no dealings with either of the Corbin brothers and there respective businesses, but I have heard they have a long backload of work. But I also heard the $$$ can rectify that.
Good Luck,
Jon

[Sensai]

Charlie is #1 in my book. All my dealings with him have been very boring. I tell him what I want, he sends it and tells me about it, it works. No rpoblems or surprises. I don't think you can ask for any better than that!

[DukeInFlorida]

I'm guessing that you asked TOO MANY of the wrong sort of questions, and caught him on a bad day, and that might have given him the impression that you were questioning his quality. Using 35 caliber Freechex 2 or 3 would be a perfect way to make plain base gas checks for 357 magnums. Perhaps you should have just asked for a 35 caliber FreeChex 2 or 3, and left it at that, knowing that it would "JUST WORK!"

He would tell you (when the tool was made) what metal thickness the tool was optimized for. You could use that thickness, or little thicker, knowing that you'd be OK. His tools are really promoted as check makers for gas check type molds, and not really for plain base use. However, we all know the 35 caliber works fine for plain base on 357 magnums. If you got too fussy with Charlie, telling him how to make the custom tool (what thickness metal you wanted to use, etc), he might have decided that a custom tool was not what he wanted to make. That's the only way your story makes any sense to me. I believe you, but can't figure out such unusual response from Charlie unless you drove him a bit over the edge with too many custom tool questions.


No, I am not confusing him with someone else. Maybe I pissed him off..asking too many questions about thickness of material...where to find it of which I finally did after further inquiries. I rather enjoyed the few conversations we had; he has replaced a part at no charge...expedient service. When I ordered the 35, he said it would take 8 weeks plus heat treating. When the 8 weeks ended, I wrote, said I wanted to order a die and his reply was; and I quote:
"They were finished about a week ago. However, after speaking to you, you did not have reasonable source of metal. I also understood that finding the proper metal was just too much of an effort and a serious waste of your time and money. 357's are the most sensitive to metal thickness and type of FreeChex family of tools."
Giving your previous problems and the sensitivity of the tools I felt it best not to bother you.Thank you,Charlie.

Now tell me. What kind of answer is that? Very direct,of course. Maybe he feels I am a Klutz of which I am not, and that I would defame his product. I believe I was being reasonable and asking basic questions about the product and usage of material. Let me make this clear: I never was pejorative. Again, I believe his is a good product; I would and have promoted it and I would buy one of his chexIII in 35 immediately because it is a one-step procedure. Several of you have spoken highly of your recent dealings.Not to belabor the point, but, it's just that I'm wondering if I am the only one who has had this kind of association?
One of my initial inquiries was; Does anyone use another manufacturer, such as Corbin,or Pat Marlin; and how well do they work?
Enough said of this and the matter is closed. I harbor no ill-will.

[Nocturnal Stumblebutt]

I've been so pleased with my 44 Freechex 2 I decided to order one for 22, I emailed charlie wednesday evening and he said they'd be in stock in about a week and he'd email me when they were ready. Well he emailed me this morning at 7 am and said he finished and tested a 22 freechex 2 for me, A WHOLE 18 HOURS LATER. Charlie is incredible. Now to get in touch with Yonky for some aluminum.

[Dale in Louisiana]

Now to get in touch with Yonky for some aluminum.

that's another good one to deal with. Yonky's aluminum is dead soft, making it easy to deal with. It's not springy when you unroll a bit, and obviously soft aluminum is easier to punch and form.

dale in Louisiana

[Nocturnal Stumblebutt]

that's another good one to deal with. Yonky's aluminum is dead soft, making it easy to deal with. It's not springy when you unroll a bit, and obviously soft aluminum is easier to punch and form.

dale in Louisiana

I agree, I use his .0145 HH for my 44 cal checks and I actually get tighter groups than I was with Hornady checks, and the checks made with Yonky's aluminum stay stuck to the base.