Is anyone using Floral Foam as am over powder wad? The only way I can find it is in blocks that are probably 4" square or larger (I am speaking of the green, extremely frangible foam). I have heard of people using floral foam but no details as to how thick and how they seat the wad, etc. I am quite aware that ANY wad must be seated off the powder by .100"-.200".

I don't know if people run the foam thru a table saw to get uniform 1/2" thick or what. Any information should prove helpful.

Dale53

If you are shooting the .32 Miller Short a wad is almost  a necessity.  I cut my wads on a bandsaw to a thickness of 1/8 to less than 1/4 inch thick.  I don't seat it onto the powder but I know a lot of people shooting the Miller Short do seat it down to the powder.  I use wads in all the different cases I shoot when I am breech-seating bullets.  You do not have to be as carefull in inserting the case into the rifle.
mes

Dale:  I use the floral foam  that comes in a brick shape about 
2 1/2  x 2 1/2 x 6".  I set up a fence on the band saw on the near side of the the blade and use the saws miter guage set at 90 degrees as the device to push the floral foam through the saw. 
In use I hold a thin sheet of the floral foam in one hand and using the charged case with a twisting motion to cut the wad out of the foam.  I use my forefinger of the hand holding the sheet of foam as a stop for the case once it cuts through the foam.   
I usually leave it at the mouth of the case but have seated it down onto the powder or at various distances off the powder.  If I seat it down a bit I cut a thicker sheet to obviate powder loss. This is all for my .32-40 Lee which is 1.3 inches long.  For longer cases or bottle necked cases I leave it at the case mouth.
mes

I have been using floral foam both in the neck and on the powder for my .32/40 and breech seated bullets.  There are two types of floral foam, one is intended for dried flower arrangements and is a open cell design with some rigidity. The other is very fragile, and extremely fine cell structure, and is intended for wet arrangements.  The latter on is the one you want to use, it weighs next to nothing.  It takes little effort to drive your finge completely through the block.  I slice off 1/8" thick wafers using a Xacto  break away razor knive, with blade fully extended.  A 1/8" thick wad for the .32/40 weighs less than a grain.  Merely press th charged case into the foam wafer sheet and press it down, or just leave it in the neck.  If seating over the powder press it down carefully because it is verrry frangiable. 
When you ignite it in a open flame it turns black, adding nothing to the combustion, and merely crumbles away when touched.
When fired in the rifle the carbonaceous deposit appears around the case mouth.  I have seen no detectable extra deposits in the barrel.  It works better than cotton, and I feel it produces more consistent results.  Remember, you want the foam for WET use, of course, we use it dry.

Dale, I also use the floral foam, but instead of a bandsaw, I use a  wire cheese slicer we have that's mounted on a  cutting board. lots less mess for me to clean up, and it's easy to cut consistent slices.
Mike

I find this topic very interesting as I'm always looking for the better mouse trap!  As you can see I'm new to this forum but I am a fairly knowledgeable reloader.  The one question that comes to mind is...can the floral foam be used with both smokeless and black powder loads.  My primary goal would be to use it in large case smokeless loads, i.e. 45/70 with a light load of 3031 or 4198 to keep the powder next to the primer. I look forward to your opinions.  Thanks, Steve

One of our club members used nothing but floral foam successfully for years; but then one day he ringed his .323 Smith barrel. 

Singleshot

Charlie Dell did a lot of testing on chamber ringing. There is a  chapter on it in his book second edition. One of his findings was that the ringing was for the most part a cumulative effect. They can be produced all at once but for the most part they are done a little at a time untill they become noticeable.

40 Rod