Gluing the rib corners

Here is a photo I promised a while back. It shows the method I use to clamp the ribs while gluing them on the blocks. I have holes drilled in the mold that hold a dowel. They are situated so that when some cord, or twine like I have here, is wrapped around the dowel, over the clamping block, and around the dowel on the other side, the clamping pressure pushes the rib in place. That sentence is too long. That's why they say a picture is worth a thousand words! The picture tells it much more eloquently. I use small drills to twist each side of the cord until it is tight. Then sit it aside until the next day. It is a very simple clamp. It is not hard to imagine Stradivarius doing it the same way.
I tried the other day to bend the c bout ribs for the last violin that needs a ribcage. Those were the ones I made inline with the medulary rays. The red maple stock is much more flamed than other ribs I've bent. The other red maple ones for the violin in the photo that I just glued up didn't give me too much trouble. These ones were nasty. I had a hard time keeping the back side from splitting. Thought I had the iron hot. Thought I had it pulled tight with the band. Thought I had the back side wet enough so it would steam and relax. I thought wrong. I never had so much trouble. Luckily I have more stock if I run out of strips I've already cut and thinned to 1.2mm. Maybe I need to double check the thickness. Maybe there are some thick spots. Maybe 1.0mm would be better.
Some of you may notice I glued the corners before the bottom joint. This was on purpose. I thought I'd try it that way this time. Once I had one ribs slightly on an angle and had to move it to get it to fit on the corner block. Another time I thought I had it good and the bottom joint on one side must have moved while gluing the corner block. I figure this way neither one of those things will happen. The last couple I had long enough ribs stock I used a one piece rib on the bottom. The way to go for sure. I let you know how this new method works.