John, I use epoxy for most of my veneering, and especially when doing curved work, and needing plenty of open time. Epoxy doesn't contain any moisture and acts as a lubricant allowing the parts to slip while the bend is being made.
The Open time can be long by using slow cure, and keeping the temperature low while working.
Also mixing small batches that can be spread quickly so there is no heat buildup from the depth in the container.
I usually mix in 16oz solo cups, and pour it out ahead of the paint roller onto the substrate, rather than into a roller tray.
I always spread a little epoxy onto a scrap kept outside the bag to monitor when it is finished by touch. 6 hours is about normal. I live in my studio at the shop, so late night shut down is not an issue for me.
I buy the 1-1 ratio epoxy from https://www.fgci.com , which is much more reasonably priced than some, and higher viscosity to start with, but I still add some colloidal silica to thicken to about latex paint consistency.
Before going with epoxy, on some projects I was doing like what you described, I had buckling on the face and splitting on the outer due to too much friction from other glues. Epoxy is very slippery, and isn't affected by any slippage as long as it still has enough flexibility to do so.
I've done projects that took over an hour to get spread before starting the vacuum. But the sky is the limit if you are working in winter, you could take all day if the temperature is cool enough, then warm it up after everything is in the bag and under vacuum. Epoxy needs heat to kick.