Ok, the test speaker is almost back together and ready to ship. The port tube is press fit, so decided to glue it in place.
After reviewing the test results, I found indication that the foam/Acousta-Stuf combo might be slightly better, so checked with the designer and he preferred too. So the damping is now more comparable to the better speakers I have built.
This one will get a new box too. Often this is fancier work than the cabinet construction, but worth it to make sure it has the best possible chance to get to Amir intact.