I routinely bend eighth inch thick spruce laminations for guide boat ribs and canoe stems, using an imported 1680-watt heat gun run on high. It is very easy to over bend the strips, and sometimes I have to bend them back. You can almost tie knots in them. The flat grain spruce is cut from ordinary lumberyard spruce construction 2-by stock, with no wetting. I used to use steam and hot soaking - with the heat gun, I can bend up a complete stack of laminations before the steamer is even warmed up, and I don't have to wait a day or two for the strips to dry out before gluing. The bends are tighter, and I get absolutely no springback. I am a believer.... - John