My Manchinga Sides Break While Bending.

Aloha
My 7th build has turned in to more learning lessons. I am bending my sides for a concert. I have been unable to complete a bend without breaking. I use a pipe to bend on. This wood is Mancinga and is from the Amazon area in Peru. It is spalded. Those are the only 2 things new to my bending experiences. I have bent koa, mango, sycamore using the same with the same technique as above. I spritz the wood down let it soak for a bit and the start heating the wood as to bend. Gentle pressure and heat and it breaks with almost every bend attempted. Any suggestions? Thanks Danny B.

I am not familiar with Mancinga, but some wood is difficult to bend even with the correct amount of water and heat.
You could sand the sides thinner...sometimes a few thousands can make all the difference, or you could try using a product like Super Soft 2 (Super Soft is a veneer softener).

It might just be wood that likes to break, I'm not familiar with it. Does the grain have excessive runout? I find I have less trouble bending with an electric heat blanket and the usual sandwich of SS slats, etc. You may want to try spritzing the wood with SuperSoftII.

(Edit: Jake beat me by a minute!)
I use SuperSoftII on tight bends with stubborn wood. I'm just never really sure if it does anything. I'll keep using it though........

Thanks, Chuck and Jake. I am hoping to find help from my supplier. He has indicated that a luthier that he knows has had problems with it maybe has a solution. The SuperSoft will remain an great option. Thanks Again Danny Bassett