Jammer, it seems like my improvised "box" device should work as well as the dowel idea. It's just a strudy cardboard box with cut outs so neither the nose or tail of the fuse touch. This works on this particular model because the thickest part of the wing also happens to be the suggested CG location (i.e. the edge of the sheeting and the spar). It's definitely NOT nose heavy balanced (inverted) on either the box on on my fingertips.

Besides, I don't think being a tad nose-heavy could have caused the problems I had on the first flight. I think I'm back to thinking that it was a combination of too much throw and strange wind conditions on an unknown field. And of course my newbie thumbs!