As always quality time to listen. I am making archtop guitars. I am steaming guitar top and back 5mm wood blanks to bend them with wedges according to Helen Michetschläger, British violin and violas maker method. After glueing halves I carve the wood to final graduation. After listening to you I will not hesitate to prolong the steaming as Helen suggested not to steam longer than half an hour. I have steam bent as well torrefacted wood and got cracks, so maybe prolonged steaming and careful wedging will do the work. Interesting fact about heat processed spruce - it is much less transparent to light compering not processed wood.
