: Just quibbling, but:

: 'Spanish windlass' actually twists the cords to get tension.
: The string and wedges definitely is a Spanish guitar building
: technique. German/French/American makers tended to use wedges
: working against the edge of the workpiece.
: It's interesting that clamping techniques like this are probably
: more commonly used nowadays than in 'olden days', since with PVA
: glues you need clamping pressure for quite a while. Using
: traditional hide glue, most joints were often just 'rubbed'
: without clamping - hide glue grabs quite quickly. (Especially
: easy with fiddle soundboards and backs, as the workpiece is
: quite thick- glued before carving.)

: I'm not Spanish, but am a sometimes-luthier. ;-)

The old fashioned hot animal glue has the interesting characteristic that it sets in two stages. First; As the glue in the joint cools it gels. This gives it it's quick grab property. Secondly; Over the following 24 hours or so, the glue gives up it's moisture and shrinks, drawing the joint even tighter together.