Clamp Positioning Points
© Frank Ford, 8/10/98; Photos by FF, 8/10/98
Here's a little trick you can use to modify crack reinforcement clamps.
The idea is to make it quick and easy to hold a top reinforcement cleat on the end of the clamp as you position and clamp it inside the instrument. Working through the soundhole can be a little like making a ship in a bottle. You need two hands inside the instrument, but much of the time you can't even reach in there with one.
For some clamps you may have to tap the bottom "foot" to screw in a bolt or threaded rod, but you can just unscrew the adjustable feet of some clamps, including the Waverly crack clamps.
File a very tiny, narrow chisel shaped point on the end of the screw like this:
That little spike is only about 1/8" long, and very sharp and fine.
Then thread the screw all the way up through the bottom of the clamp and screw on a nut down over the point so that only about 1/16" protrudes:
I find that a drop of thin super glue is perfect for keeping the nut in place, and will break easily with heat if I need to remove or reposition the nut later. You may notice that I filed the upper side of the nut flat to give me just a bit more clamping area.
Now, you can simply stick your reinforcement cleat right on the pointy bottom foot of the clamp:
The cleat will stay in place as you position and glue it exactly where you want it without a lot of messy tape or time consuming effort.
Once glued in place the cleat shows only the most trivial damage from the clamp point:
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