The molding plane I use is a "round" I try to fit the profile, not support the sides, as wood is probably not up to that unless you want to spend a lot of time supporting the sides of the wooden die.
"Since then, I've used the crown to position the blade in the groove, making sure the face of the crown is at a right angle to the side of the ramp before bending the blade."
If I step up from the wood system I have now, I would want to go to a side by side such as they use in factories, the fork is completed, and then the bend is put in. It just seems so superior. But it is a large commitment to make one's own, and I don't know where one buys them, if they are made at all today.