Hi Brett;

For the kinds of bends you are working with, either soaking or steaming will probably work out fine. I wrapped my 1/8" coaming ply in wet rags for 30 minutes or so and that was sufficient. Don't overlook the use of a steam iron and a wet rag as an assist for those stubborn bends - Much of my 'yak owes it's shape to the trusty iron . . .

What I ultimately began using because of the speed and convenience was an industrial hot air gun. I made a simple fixture on the workbench and put all the curves and twists in this manner. When you heat the wood, including black walnut, it becomes relatively soft, easy to bend and/or twist. As it cools it locks in that shape. I used gravity as a big aid in forming fair curves and twists by using combinations of spring clamps as weights - I could bend, curve, and twist all at the same time. The jig was needed simply to support the piece properly while I weighted and heated the strip into shape. It's a fast technique also, requiring no drying time before gluing.

In the link below, coaming bending is shown under "Deck Construction," and black walnut torture under "Deck Glassing"

Good Luck & Best Regards, Spidey