I was gluing up a text block and a piece of scrap paper saved the whole thing

I was putting together a 200 page notebook last night and my glue brush was leaving thick, uneven lines on the spine. I almost panicked because the paste was starting to set. On a total whim, I grabbed a piece of scrap printer paper, folded it in half, and used the folded edge like a spreader. It gave me a perfectly thin, even coat in one pass and soaked up the extra glue. I've been binding for a couple years and never thought of that. Has anyone else found a weird household item that works better than the 'right' tool?

3 comments

3 Comments

rosed323mo ago

My old credit card is my go to for spreading glue. The plastic edge is just stiff enough to control it without soaking through.

benflores3mo ago

Hard disagree on that method. @rosed32, that plastic edge is way too thick for a clean spread. You end up with lumpy glue lines. A proper putty knife is thinner and gives you way more control. The credit card trick is just asking for a messy project.

oliver_fisher19d ago

Yeah "lumpy glue lines" is exactly what I ended up with when I tried that credit card trick. I switched to a cheap putty knife and never looked back, way cleaner results.