If you have a scrap piece and a heat gun, I'd just try a practice run first. If it's successful then you know what to expect on the real thing.
When it comes to bending wood, practice makes perfect.
I found that if I round the edges before heating and bending that I don't get as many splinters. That's about all the advice I can offer. There are others on here that are wood bending masters, I'm sure they will chime in and give you all the advice you can handle.