dixie bag molds

[damron]

I just got three of them.The .690 appears fine but the .322 and .310 are like lopsided eggs.Are they all this crappy?

George

 

[Rifleman1776]

I searched the Dixie site and only found one mould that fits the bag mould description. This one: http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=7965

Or, are you referring to the ones made from hair straighteners?
I have one of those in .731 and it is excellent. And, I have had others that were all very good moulds.
What moulds do you mean? hotoSmile:

 

[ohio ramrod]

I have had one of Dixie's "hair straightener " molds for over 40 years and it has cast ovet ten thousand balls and is still "good as new ". My balls cast with it are within .OO1 of round. :idunno:

 

[54mountain]

I have one of those in .540 that casts a better ball than my single lee mold

 

[damron]

maybe mine were 2nds.they are pretty poor fit and quality.

 

[Rifleman1776]

maybe mine were 2nds.they are pretty poor fit and quality.

I know Dixie is under new ownership but, historically, they have been pretty good with customer service. Give them a call and ask what they will do to make you happy.

 

[Farmerted]

I bought a used "hair straightener" that is one of my favorite molds. Is it me or does Dixie not carry them any longer?

 

[Zonie]

Nope.

A quick search at the Dixie site says there is no such thing as "CA0100", the Dixie number shown for the hair straightener molds in their 2011 catalog.

Ole' Turner Kirkland (the founder of Dixie Gunworks) is a rollin' in his grave again.


I'm sure the folks that are fairly new to muzzleloading don't have the foggiest idea about what a Hair Straightener bullet mold is and because they are no longer available I'll give a quick rundown for them.

Quoting from the Dixiegunworks 2011 catalog (p294),
"The Dixie Mould is designed with economy in view with as simple a mould as possible. Made without sprue cutter. Iron handles, heavy cast malleable iron and factory finished. Best for all round use.
In the 1950s, Turner found this tool in stores he visited as a salesman.
It was being used as a hair straightener by heating the head and pulling the hair between the flat faces. Turner realized it could be made into a bullet mould by "cherrying" the face to size. He located the original factory- still casting it as they had for over 100 years..."

It looks like a large cast iron pair of heavy duty sheet metal shears or giant scissors with a cast "loop" on each leg for the fingers to slip thru.
Rather than having cutting blades like scissors, they have a cylindrical end on each leg with flat faces to squeeze the hair as it is pulled thru them.

Back in 1987 they cost $12.95 and the roundball molds ranged in size from .28 to .875.
In the 2009 catalog the price had increased to $55.00.

I think their high price probably doomed them to extinction.

 

[cynthialee]

This one? It is dated this August. http://www.dixiegunworks.com/pdf_d...=7945&osCsid=935d0029de278d7ba7b2ce410753d7f3

 

[damron]

your link is the molds i am speaking of.I have cast with all three of them and they are horrible.Out of round and finned.I own well over 150 molds and these are the worst i a ever run into.

George

 

[Farmerted]

Damron, does yours have a guide pin that goes from one face to the other? One other thing, mine does less than stellar when even a hair thin bit of something gets between any part of the faces. If there is any obstruction I'll get flash and odd looking conicals.

 

[damron]

the pin does go through fine.the hinge is fairly tight and the blocks only hit on one side.They are almost new and not abused.I have cleaned them and lightly stoned the faces to make sure these are no burrs.

 

[CrackStock]

I have two of these molds and mine work very well. They show round when I put the micrometer to them.

Have you cast ball before? Not to be rude, but there are some things that people new to casting often do. Fins usually are an indication that the mold was not fully closed for some reason. Might have been a burr or a bit of flashing from a previous pour. Could also be how you hold the handles.

If these are not the cause, then I would return these to Dixie with a complete explanation and photos.

Good luck!

CS

 

[damron]

I cast 3 to 4 days a week with molds of all makes and bullet styles.I have competed with cast bullets for nearly 20 years in registered benchrest matches.I am not a newbie!These specimens are junk.I think it just must be the ones i have as others seem to have good luck with them.maybe Dixie will return them good advice.

if nobody believes me they are for sale

.690RB

.310RB

and double sided .322RB and one weird conical

make offer.No returns

 

[CrackStock]

Apparently, you cast more than I do. Did not mean to insult you, but the area needed to be covered as it could have been the problem from what I knew.

Sounds like either you got a surprising batch of lemons by extraordinary accident or the quality of these Dixie molds has deteriorated since I got mine over 10 years ago.

As I said before, I would send them back. Then post the result for the benefit of the group.

CS

 

[damron]

Your idea of sending them back is a good one if they still will.I got hem to take to the cabin in the winter to kill the time.I didn't think a Lee or a Lyman would feel right over a fire.

 

[damron]

I'll have to post picture of the cavities so you guys can see what i mean.

 

[BEP]

Another possibility - I remember, back in the day, being able to buy that product as a blank; without any cavity cut so a person could try their hand at making their own mould. These could be someone's less than stellar results when trying to make their own moulds from uncut blanks. At least it's a possibility.

I bought several of these Dixie moulds over the years; still have a couple that I use. I always found them to be of good quality, casting a nice round ball.

 

[Jim Blair]

Wow $55 for those.I've been picking them up on e-bay for $10-$20.One for $8.A couple of them were unused.Some of them in patterns no longer offered,two of them in a box with the receipt from 1984.At $55 I'd buy a Lee.If you want a bag type mold like that I'd go with Larry Callahan,he's got a real good rep-
http://www.bagmolds.com/UNZIPPED/htdocs/1.shtml

 

[CrackStock]

If you want a bag type mold like that I'd go with Larry Callahan,he's got a real good rep-

I'll second that suggestion. I saw his work at CLA and Dixon's. I bought one of his multi-tools. Cannot wait to use it. I like the idea of flaking to get a good edge on a flint.

CS