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John or anyone else, I have John's side bending machine and like it a lot. Bending goes pretty well with this so far.
The question I have is this: Would using more pins or dowels across the form and/or permanently putting a sheet of metal over the pins help with ripples or other distortions of the wood?
Thanks,
Bob

Bob,
I put 30 gauge galvanized sheet metal over mine, thin enough to nail down, and it gave me a smooth surface. I did it because I'm heating with light bulbs and needed to hold the heat inside the form, but I think it must help alot with giving a smooth shape to the side too.
Call up your local Heating and AC service place and see if they will cut off a piece for you. Standard sheet is 36" wide so they might have even have some scrap to cut from and not charge you.

Kevin

I use a piece of sheet stainless under the wood. I like to have support under the blanket to help maintain contact with the side being bent. This would also help with the issues you mention. A lot of folks like the spring steel for this because it flattens back out quickly. The stainless I use doesn't flatten back out completely but enough for me. Anything to help give some support will work. You could also wrap the form with rolled aluminum flashing from HD. I use that on the top of the sandwich to protect the blanket.

I will be shooting video fri and we have an updated bending plan.
In my years of bending most warping is more from the wood selection than anything else. We changed the blanket location now we do
slat-wet paper-wood-wet paper-blanket-slat
prior I did it the old way. I found that the wet paper blanket combo gets the heat to the wood faster and the wet paper diffuses the heat better to the wood without raising the grain.

also if you use super soft 2 that may help.