Double Bass Spool clamps?

[mortar]

Eventually I am going to have to make a bunch of spool clamps to glue the top back on of the 1939 C1 I acquired.

Couple questions on the clamps.
Will 50 be enough?
Will 5/16" 18 x 12" be a good size?
Thread rod or long carriage bolts?
Large round wooden dowel cut into disc' or plywood cut into rectangles.
Cork as a cushion?

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

Yes to all, but make sure you price-shop the allthread. I’m told that it’s priced differently in different departments of the same megastore.

Trying to do the whole top at once can be an invitation to failure. What I do is top block first, then bottom block, then the corner blocks. Let those set for a day, then do the seams between the blocks one section at a time with the clamps set as closely together as possible. Don’t clamp down too tight or you’ll squeeze out all the glue. They just have to hold things still.

The whole job can be done with eight clamps if you have a week to get the job done.

 

[mortar]

Thanks KUNGfu! I am in no rush..

 

[GretschWretch]

Look around antique stores and thrift shops. You may actually find some old wooden spools such as seamstresses use. Just core out the center holes in the spools to the diameter of your rod. Saves a couple of steps.

 

[1st Bass]

Another solution is to glue the cork-roll onto heavy plywood, and then, after the glue is dry, use a hole-saw to cut plugs out of the padded plywood, so that each plug can then be smoothed as needed, and threaded onto the all-thread.

 

[powerbass]

You can purchase 2', 3' 6' sections of threaded rod from big box stores, plumbers/electricians use long sections of threaded rod too to hang fixtures/pipe, look at those supply stores too. Plywood cut into rectangles would be easiest, thick felt or cork. You could make one end a fixed end and one end an adjustable end?

 

[bengreen]

I found a lot of cork sheets available from craft stores were pretty crumbly and surprisingly expensive.

The rubberized cork sheets you buy at auto parts stores used for making gaskets is more durable and doesn't cost much.

 

[mortar]

I ended up

Trying to do the whole top at once can be an invitation to failure. What I do is top block first, then bottom block, then the corner blocks. Let those set for a day, then do the seams between the blocks one section at a time with the clamps set as closely together as possible. Don’t clamp down too tight or you’ll squeeze out all the glue. They just have to hold things still.

The whole job can be done with eight clamps if you have a week to get the job done.

I ended up going this way I did 2 clamps on the neck block 2 on the tail block and 1 clamp each on each corner block yesterday morning before I went to work. I had to set up a system to press the neck and tail in, the lower part of the body had splayed over time. This morning I just did one upper bout and a middle section. I got the top on relatively straight. I will have to pinch the lower bout in when I get ready to glue the bottom. Thanks so much! I was thinking I would have to make some type of jig with inner spreaders if I was going to do it all at once..