pipe foam clamping caul

[Clay Schaeffer]

The discussion Barry Daniels posted in the repair section on the 31 Martin 0017 diverged into clamping methods for gluing the front and back plates to the sides. Several ideas were discussed and demonstrated. I was thinking of using a bicycle inner tube mounted on a board running around the perimeter of the guitar and Brian Evans suggested using closed cell foam.
My wife understands my penchant for scrounging free materials and she happened upon some pipe insulation that was cut in half for marble runs that was headed for the dumpster, and as the "enabler" she is brought them home to me. The thought came to me that the rounded shape (similar to an inner tube ) and the compressibility of foam (as Brian suggested) might lend itself to using it as a clamping caul. It would require fewer clamp and less precision for placing them. It could be used with go bars if some old sandpaper or other non slippery surface was used on the top side.
The first pictures shows the pipe insulation hot melt glued to a piece if 1/4 inch MCP. The second picture shows the location of the center of the foam in relation to the outline of the guitar it is intended for. The third picture demonstrates the clamping caul in place on a guitar ( although a classical, not the size one it is made for).

[Barry Daniels]

You may be onto something.