That learning curve with headbands and glue, man

I remember my first few months doing this around 2015, I used way too much PVA and the headbands would warp every single time. Took me maybe 60 or so books before I figured out that a thin layer and letting it tack up first makes a world of difference. Has anyone else found that their early mistakes kind of stick with them more than any tutorial?

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phoenix_thompson410d ago

Thin layer scraped with a scrap of cardboard and then wait like 2 minutes until it goes from shiny to dull before you lay the headband down, that tacky stage is everything. @jesse994 your buddy's frosting a cake thing is spot on, and honestly the warped ones teach your hands way faster than a video ever will. I still catch myself hovering over the glue pot some nights, just waiting for that tack.

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jesse99410d ago

Did you ever watch someone else mess up in a way that just burned into your brain? My buddy got into bookbinding a couple years back and did the same exact thing with the PVA, slathered it on like he was frosting a cake, and every headband curled up like a dead spider. I told him to back off and let it get tacky first but he had to learn it the hard way, wasted like 40 books. The funny part is he still talks about those warped headbands more than the ones that came out perfect, so yeah, I buy what you're saying about mistakes sticking harder than any tutorial. It's like your hands remember the screw ups better than your brain remembers the instructions.

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