[tj303]

I have changed wads (from 1 1/8 to 7/8 oz). I know how to adjust wad seating tube but how do you determine the correct depth and wad pressure on a Spolar? Thanks.

Update: called Spolar and talked to a very helpful man (didn't get his name). Adjust the wad seating tube (up in this case) so the wad is not being crushed. You may have to cut open a shell to see if you are crushing the wad. If you can't raise the tube enough then shorten the tube or send it back and they will shorten the tube. You don't need to seat the wad hard, the final crimp stations will press the shot and wad down.

Hope this is helpful and doesn't ruin anybody's day who thinks Spolar's never need adjusting. TJ

 

[hmb]

Stand the two wads side by side. Measure the difference in height of the bottom of the shot cup. That is the amount you have to raise the tube. HMB

 

[Johnny]

You don't need wad pressure when inserting the wad. All that is necessary is to push the wad into the hull. The pre-crimp will position the wad and the final crimp will determine the wad pressure.

 

[grntitan]

What Johnny said. Wad pressure is a thing of the past. All you need with modern wads is enough to seat the wad onto the powder.

 

[Avaldes]

TJ, you don't mess with it on a Spolar. It is not necessary to change the position of the shot tube. Call Dixie at Spolar to verify what I am saying. I have never messed with it in the 6 years I have had my Spolar.

 

[DTrykow]

I go from 7/8oz to 1 1/8oz with no adjustments. Dave T.

 

[fssberson]

All of the above are correct... don't screw with the Spolar. Fred

 

[grntitan]

"You may have to cut open a shell to see if you are crushing the wad"

Cutting apart a shell will not prove anything in reference to if your machine is crushing the wad from the drop tube. The crimp will crush the wad down in some combinations of hull/wad. I don't own a Spolar so maybe I'm just not understanding why its difficult to just adjust it to where the wad lightly rests on the powder charge.

 

[Baron23]

If you 1 1/8 oz wads are being set where the top of the petals are at the fold in the crimp, and if with your 7/8 oz they come to the same place, don't do a darn thing.

Otherwise, adjust shot drop tube so that petals come to right at the bottom fo the fold.

 

[Cush]

You just about can't crush the plastic wads with a Spolar. To prove this take the shell out after the shot has dropped, pour the shot out, then press the wad down with a nut-driver or other appropriate tool. You will find that no matter how far you push it down (further than the Spolar shot tube will reach) it just springs back. (And adding the weight of the shot makes no difference.)

I don't like letting the wad go in loose and relying on the crimp to seat it because that leaves the top pellets too high, so that if you have any hole at all in the crimped folds at the precrimp stage, a pellet or two can bounce out when the pre-crimper lets go of the shell and it falls back into the turntable. That is esp. true if you load AA, STS, etc., interchangeably, as I do, so that hull-length varies considerably.

Also you CAN have perfectly good LOOKING finished shells, but get bad burns from inadequate wad-seating. At least, that has been my conclusion.

I therefore go for plenty of wad depth via the shot-tube, and then just don't worry about it, and I never get funny sounding loads, even though I load only 7/8 and 3/4, unless of course I reload a hull that got moisture in it.

So in other words, you probably did not need to do anything to your shot tube, though you would probably need to adjust everything after the precrimp.

 

[Dicksie]

tj303, I don’t know what kind of special circumstances you had that you were told to shorten the shot drop tube. Actually, the only time we ever had to do anything like that was when guys were trying to load the wads with an X in the shot cup and the shot tube had to be larger than the X. Like everyone has written here, we never adjust the shot drop tube when going between wads. Wad pressure was used with the old paper wads, but crushing plastic wads is counter-productive, if you have to crush it, you have the wrong hull, powder, wad combination. What exactly was the issue you were having? You can send me a private message if you want to or call and ask for Carter, 800-227-9667.
Dicksie Spolar

 

[Perazzi_MX8]

Anyone who has doubts or thinks wad pressure matters should try this. Stop your loader after the wad is inserted and you will find that the pressure you applied is gone. If your little finger can be inserted in the shell before the shot is dropped you can press against the hull and drag the wad right out. No pressure at all.....like zero! I don't know of any trap loads that rely, or require, wad pressure. You can also take an empty hull and insert a wad with your fingers and push it down to the bottom. Then reach in with a little finger and pull it right out.

 

[goose2]

The new designed wads do not require wad pressure.