The first step I do is bend the sides. I just finished building this new jig with plans from Georgia Luthier Supply.  This was my very first attempt at side bending with the new jig.   I particularly liked the idea of using form inserts so that I can customize the ukulele shape without building dedicated side bending jigs for every uke size or shape.

After soaking the side in distilled water, I create a sandwich using a piece of aluminum flashing, then the wood side, a heating blanket, then topped off with another piece of aluminum.  I use a $10 router speed controller to adjust the blanket temp to 300 deg.  I use a simple instant read thermometer to guesstimate the temp inside the sandwich.