John, the frame bending is nearly all done, two tough ones to go.
My advice would be to steam until they get flexible, then put them
back in! I keep breaking them in my impatience. It might be
easier on a bigger boat with wider turns to make, but the wood
would be thicker too. Patience is the key I think, which is why I
have so much trouble! Oh, and making jigs really helps as well.
I made a couple out of plywood so I could clamp the frames to
the jig as they came out, this really reduced my breakage. I have
seen people use strapping (like the stuff they use to hold cargo
to pallets) on the back side of wood being bent on a jig. Used
mainly for steaming recurves into wooden bows, but it helps
keep the back of the wood from starting to separate and causing
a break. Just a little extra support. On a bigger project with
heavier wood, I would really think about doing that.