The problem here is cheap, coarse grained wood. It looks like mahogany, which does NOT react well to sharp bending. Also, you should look at the method of bending. Say you need to make a risky, sharp bend with a brittle wood like mahogany or walnut. Just bending the water soaked piece over the fulcrum of your form typically ends up with a disappointing snapping sound, followed by several cuss words. Instead, you need to support the wood close to the bend and curl it over the fulcrum slowly, pressing the wood into shape around the form, and not simply bending it. Using my thumb with hard pressure usually does the trick. Maintain pressure all around the bent portion of the strip. See the diagram below. The yellow arrows show force or pressure. (And yeah, after doing this for hours using a dowel as a form, my thumb gets red). If this does not work, change your wood to a finer grained piece with straight grain. You may choose to use lime wood, poplar or beech, which are flexible woods, and stain them to match the rest of the railings as best you can.Tried using a dowel and hot water. It broke. View attachment 284544
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