It's a good idea to turn off shop music and cell phones when learning to bend with a machine. If one proceeds as demonstrated in the LMI video, it will only take 10 minutes to bend a side.
For mahogany, I set the target temperature for 280F. After only a couple of minutes one can hear as the wetted wood reaching the boiling point of water (212F). That's a signal to tighten up your focus! The temperature of the wood will soon rise to the bending point depending on the thickness (and species) of the wood. The machine control will not allow the temperature to rise beyond the set point. Harder woods are more dense and generally less flexible. These woods (Rosewood, Padauk, etc.) will require a higher set point.
Once the target temperature is reached, the wood needs to be bent very slowly as you monitor its resistance. Once you can feel the wood stretching, proceed slowly but deliberately. When the side is completely bent to the shape of the mold, reduce the heat and allow the wood to cool down while still clamped in with the heat blankets. Ideally, the wood should cool to room temperature before it leaves the bending machine. Then it should go directly into your mold.
Resonance tuning of the top is an interesting subject that we can't explore very well here. Carving of the X-braces, however, has a direct affect on the top's resonance frequency. There is no single recipe. The style of play and the target tonal qualities will determine the target resonance of the top. Here we enter the land of subjective judgement and preference. (It's like religion and politics... except worse.) For the record, all five of these tops have resonance frequencies between Bb3 and C4.
On we go. Woody is trying to complete 5 guitars by Easter. We are probably 1/3 of the way.