Chris, what none of these people will tell you is that rib bending is just plain evil. I'm not sure where everyone else gets wood from and how much they have to spend on it to get pieces with the grain oriented correctly to prevent the breakage, but here in Central Indiana, I share your pain. Most people don't know that Indiana was originally settled by a group of people who had been abused by Druids. On arrival they cut down every tree and pretty much banned them from ever coming back again. So, we have to make do with what the Home Despot can smuggle over the border in disguised U-Haul trucks. Like the arctic natives who have to use what washes up on the beach. Actually, I've no doubt that I could find the right wood if I looked hard enough, but I sort of wanted this hobby to be easy and relaxing. I do enough hard work all week.

Be that as it may, I've thought for my next project about trying laminated ribs, or the cut plywood forms that I've seen in some of the postings. Maybe fiberglass stock, cast iron, I don't know what, but anything to not have to bend ribs again!