Which Glue for Puzzles

[IBMer]

Hello,   I'm new to the hobby.   I've been playing with making puzzles with mixed results.    First off, I have the wrong blades, and have ordered a bunch of Puzzle specific Dutchman blades (Hoping to see them tomorrow).

My first try was a 4x6 black and white picture printed on photographic paper.   I used plain old wood glue to fix the picture to the 1/4 ply.  I was pretty happy with the results (except for my blades).

I then cut a picture from an old Calendar to a 1/4 board using Aleene's Tacky Glue.  I ended up with a lot of bubbles under the picture even after I smoothed it out with a credit card.  It's almost as if the glue soaked too deeply into the image.  The more I rubbed the bubbles out, the more I damaged the image surface.

Finally, I tried LINECO Neutral pH Adhesive which claims to be for Paper, Board Framing, Book Binding.  It's thinner than Aleene's glue, and spread more evenly on my board.   There was still a couple bubbles under the image en lieu of using a credit card to smooth it.

I'm wondering if an aerosol type permanent spray glue would be better as it would coat the board more evenly?   Can anyone make recommendations on what I should be looking for?   The plywood I'm using is factory sanded, do you guys sand your plywood further before applying the image?   

I suspect that my main problem lies with using too thin of a paper.  Calendar paper is thicker than many, but not quite as thick as photographic paper.   Once dry, I'm coating the images with Tripple-Thick Sealer to protect the image, but the bubbles are forming before I apply this.

[BilltheDiver]

I have done several puzzles including from photographic prints and always used a good quality spray adhesive.  Follow the can directions but most will tell you to spray both the wood and the paper, allow to partially dry, and then press together.  You can use a roller to help eliminate any bubbles, but I never found them to be a problem.  One tip, like when applying laminate plastic to a countertop, arrange some small sticks or dowels on top of the wood and lay the picture on them, then remove the centermost ones first and proceed out from the middle.  It helps to prevent unwanted positioning and creases.  Once you have glue on both surfaces, if they touch you are done!

[dgman]

I'm with Bill on an aerosol glue. If you have air bubbles that won't come out, cut a very small slit with an exacto knife, squeeze the air out, then use the roller to flatten out the bubble.
If you have never used a small blade like a 2/0, practice on some scrap before using the puzzle blades on a real project!
Good luck!

[julief]

Spray adhesive on both the wood and the photo.  Works great.  Also, if using a photo, the thinner photo paper seems to work best and last the longest.  i don't know why.

[IBMer]

Thanks for the advise, I will try spray glue.   Can anyone recommend one brand or type over another?    Do you guys cover your image with Triple-thick sealer?

[Barry]

I use 3M Super 77 (spray adhesive) a lot and DAP makes some that I bought at Woodcraft. Both work fine.

Barry