Why does nobody talk about how much glue you waste with brush-on PVA

Had a job last Tuesday where I was flat-backing a 400-page novel, and I went through almost a full pint of PVA because the brush kept drying out between passes. I stopped three times to rinse the brush in warm water, but by the third round the glue was getting tacky and lumpy. Ended up scraping off a layer and starting over. The whole afternoon was shot. I've used a glue pot with a roller for bigger runs, but for single books the brush feels like the only option. Does anyone here use a different tool for small projects that cuts down on waste?

2 comments

2 Comments

perry.evan3d ago

Man, tell me about it. I've had the same thing happen, cheap brush glue gets lumpy real fast and you end up burning through way more than you should.

joseph_torres3d ago

Doesn’t it seem like the shortcuts always cost more in the long run? Cheap glue, bargain tools, even generic groceries end up making you spend twice as much time or money fixing what went wrong.