A few years age, a friend gave me a piece of lacewood to play with. So I made a back plate for an F style. The carving wasn't too hard, but bending was a whole different matter. I use heat and steam with maple with no problems but was not any good with lacewood. The scroll area just would not bend. I tried several times (days) to heat and steam. but just as it started to soften and bend it would snap in half. I tried to vary the heat and moisture but nothing helped and it would still snap. It would tend to burn very easily also. So I put the back on a maple rim and went on building. Didn't care for the look much and it's still in the back of the pack..... The other day I ran across that lacewood again and thought, how about an A style, the curves aren't quite that bad. No. Nope. Just will not take the heat and the bending. My next move.. How about glueing the ribs to the head block and cutting out the shape with the band saw. I think I can form the first bought, it's not too much.. I would end up with end grain showing at the heel, but would that be a really bad thing ???? This wood has a crazy grain pattern....