Have you ever needed to bend wood into a curved shape and to do so would cause the wood crack or break? Here is an easy way to uncomplicate the task. Soak the balsa or basswood in a 50:50 mixture of ammonia and water. Then bend the wood around a pre-made form and hold it in place with rubber bands, pins or clamps until the wood dries. The ammonia in the water mixture causes the wood to become soft and easy to bend without breakage, more so than just a water soak.
The soak time varies depending on the wood, its thickness and size. A little experimentation will be need here to get it right. There should be no worry about going too long, but don't over do it. I have used this ammonia/water soaking on several balsa wood strips to get the bend right. Since I used Cyanoacrylate (CA) glue, the wood can be a little damp when glued, but for best results the wood should be dry when the glue is applied