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I've heard that Mexican guitar makers in Paracho sometime use rocks and bricks for clamping. Has anyone tried making a simple form cutout to match the shape of the top/back, say of 3/4" ply or MDF. Then make a rim around the edge about 1/4" high by 1/2" wide with cork or masonite, this to allow clearance for the top/back arch, and to apply pressure only at the 1/2" edge. I'll cut a notch over the tail and neck block areas to allow room for direct clamping there. My plan is to apply glue to neck/tail block and kerfing, lay down top/back, line up to index marks and clamp neck/block areas with bessey's or cam clamps, then line up the clamping form over the top/back edges, and weight it down evenly until I get a good squeezeout all around.
Does this sound crazy, or doable? Maybe I'm being too simplistic, but I think I'm going to give it a try. I've watched some of those Mexican makers work, and they can get by with practically nothing more than a cuchillo homemade from a saw blade, and a ball of twine.
Anyway, trying to 'keep it simple', and 'do more with less'. Opinions and criticism welcomed......my ego is not easily damaged.

CrowDuck

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Chris Nielsen
Soquel, CA.

I've used something similar. I used a flexible 1/4" ply board and drew out the guitar shape. Around the perimeter of the shape, I stapled "p-shaped" (in cross section) gasketing material that matched the rim. (keep the stapled flange to the outside so the staples don't contact guitar wood) After applying HHG and aligning the top or back plate, I aligned the caul to the plate and clamped it in place. It works well.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

The Jonathan Kinkade book shows a similar approach to gluing top and
back, he uses a 1/4 plywood plate cut into the shape of the guitar and routs
the middle part to somewhat follow the arch of the plates, leaving only a
ring that he screws (with deck screws I think) onto the mold. The rim is held
by stops fastened into the mold on the opposite plate side.

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

I used tape and rope for years, and also used shock cord, and that worked well too, but now I'm using a press, 2 radius dishes, and neoprene sponge (like mouse pad material) around the edge. Presses it on really fast, onl puts pressure right on the edge and works really well, very little hassle. Here are a couple pics:

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

I thought about using my radius dish as a caul, it's two layers of 3/4 MDF, almost enough weight without clamping. I bet if I put a cork cutout around the outline of the top or back and just used that dish with half a dozen go bars, it would work. I may try that next time.

Ron

John, does that press give you enough clamping pressure at the head and tail block?old man38733.4385648148

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

Olsonesque, Wow, I love it. Forget the gobar!

yes. I put an extra layer of neoprene in those spots to add pressure there as well.

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

That's a device all right! Thanks for the tip John

Serge