: If you've ever attempted this, any problems you noticed? Tips on
: splitting in general? What tools did you use - a froe seems like
: the natural choice here, but maybe something else is more suited
: to making small ribs.

I've split a bit of wood, and generally I found it easier to split from a log, or log section, than from a plank.
There's lots of info online on this stuff- the 'country woodworking' crowd do a lot of it.
http://uncpress.unc.edu/woodwright/images/Underhill_Guide_excerpt.pdf

One strategy that works for me is to split a piece off the edge of a board to establish a 'straight grain' section, plane it smooth, and then put that against the rip fence.
(This is a common technique for getting out bracing for musical instruments.)

Picking a good board to start with is 95% of the trick to this stuff. Runout is not always obvious, so buy some extra. If you have a good sawyer, the grain will be straighter; most just throw the log on the carriage and saw it 'through and through'.

I would definitely advise doing some work to tune up your bandsaw, as it is the ideal tool for ripping small-dimension stock safely.
(Search on 'bandsaw drift'...)

A froe is a bit big for splitting small-dimension stock, IMO. I've used the side of an old junker bevel chisel on occasion, or grabbed something out of the scrap steel pile. A chunk of hardwood makes a good club for hitting your chosen implement.