Acoustic Guitar Construction

I was hopeful. It seemed to be going well, I didn't hear any cracking and the wood felt like it was bending.
Well, I was not so lucky, but......I am not discouraged either. This went better this time. I think I did not get enough heat on the wood over that horn AS I was screwing down the caul below into the cutaway.
The cutaway bent just fine, so I consider it a partial success.....but still a failure. The area where the break is is a bit flat too, so I know it was not flexible enough. More HEAT!

I will try it again tonight, but this time I'm going to bend on a regular for first, and I will pull the side before it is completely cool so the upper bout area has some spring back, but the curve around the bout, or horn as I call in on the cutaway is formed.
Then I'll switch to the cutaway form, and bend it again, this time concentrating more heat with with the heat gun on the horn and just below the horn area as I screw in the ram. Heat, heat....more heat.
I didn't scorch the wood, so I know it can take more heat. The heat gun blows plenty hot air for this.
So I'll report back again tonight or tomorow on the next attempt. Onward!!!!!!1

"Fight on, my men," says Sir Andrew Barton,
"I am hurt, but I am not slain;
I'll lay me down and bleed a while,
And then I'll rise and fight again.

On my Zebrawood I pre bent both the waist and the cutaway on the pipe before they went into the fox style bender. I also used super soft. It was certainly a nervous process.

I went ahead and bent two normal sides for the OM I'm starting, giving up for now on the cutaway.
I was going to do it by hand, got out the hot pipe, and worked a little on it, but its been years since I bent that way, and it didn't feel right, so I put the side back in the bender and just bent it
This side is the one I sprayed/soaked with my home brew softener, water, alcohol and glycerin recipe, Let it dry over night, and bent it. I got some black spots, looks like mold or some other reaction on the cherry.
I think it is just into the surface a little and will sand out, but wondered, has anyone else had this happen after using veneer softener? The side I bent that I did not put this on doesn't have any black spotting.
This is the first time I am using Cherry. Just wondered. I think it will be all good.

What I will probably do is get a heat blanket to supplement heat for the cutaway, looks like there is one on Ebay for about $60 that is 30" long, plenty long enough in conjunction with my light bulb heated bender. I could even use a shorter one, just for the upper bout.
I know you guys are saying, "why not just spend a little more and get the full length blanket and bend your sides with it" I know, I know.

Yep -- pre-bending the tight curves, form fitting cauls, tensioned backing slats saves a lot of money and reduces frustration. I'd like to have a buck for every set of sides that have been ruined on the standard hobby benders normal or cutaway.

Actually there is a demo sales video where you can actually hear the side cracking