Mine went on without breaking so I didn't have the problem you are having. However, when I want to bend balsa, I use Windex with ammonia in it. Spray it on the outside of the part and let it sit a little while. It should bend easily without breaking. Remember that the liquid will raise the grain of the balsa, so you need to sand it smooth after doing this. Should not be a real problem since you will be sanding anyway once you are ready to cover. BTW: You might have the same problem when trying to bend the balsa on the front turtle deck on the canopy hatch. Sometimes it is better to go to the LHS and find similar thickness balsa that is more plyable. If you look back at my thread earlier in this post, I have some pics of the mess I had trying to bend the turtle deck. It came out fine, but was not as simple as the instructions made it out to be.