Carpenter's glue roller bottle
 

I checked it out on Amzon and while it's not expensive, it seems like a good amount of glue can end up spread in one area. Can it be thinned out a bit?

The roller spreads the glue, a roller paint brush. It's fast and non messy.

You don't want to thin the glue because too much would come out of the bottle and you wouldn't be able to control the amount as well. You have to squeeze the bottle to make the thicker glue come out, and you only want to squeeze the bottle GENTLY to get a line about the size of a Sharpie marker. Benefits of this method: glue only where you want it (no overspray) and no toxic fumes or chemicals.

Thank you for the idea! I'm getting tired of pinning!

Here are the instructions I posted on using a carpenter glue bottle to paste quilt sandwiches:I have glue basted more than 100 quilts using Elmer’s Washable School Glue. I tried other methods, but like the glue basting best because I never get any puckers on the front or back of my quilts. Using this method, the quilts never come out stiff and there is no chemical smell or overspray to deal with.

1. Roll the quilt top on a pool noodle (right side up). This will make it easier to put the top on the batting later.

2. Fill a carpenter’s glue roller bottle with undiluted Elmer's Washable School Glue. Do not dilute the glue because you want it come out of the bottle slowly.

3. Starting at one end, gently squeeze the glue bottle to feed a small amount onto the batting in an X pattern, making sure there are no glue globs that would make the quilt stiff. Aim for a thin line of glue, not a wide strip, about the width of a line drawn with a fine tip marker. If it looks like there's more glue than I want on the batting, I stop squeezing the bottle and just use the roller to "spread" it.

4. I usually apply the glue in a 10” -12” high row across the batting, then begin unrolling the quilt top onto the glued batting a “row” at a time.

5. Remove any wrinkles as you go by smoothing the glued top from the center to the edges with your hands, similar to the way you’d smooth wallpaper on a wall.

6. After the glued top has dried a few hours, flip the sandwich and glue the backing to the batting following steps 1 through 5 above.

7. Let the glued backing dry overnight.

I wash the roller thoroughly with warm water immediately after using it to glue. The roller can be easily popped out and I just rub it down with my fingers under warm water to remove the glue and any accumulated fuzz/threads. The roller is a made from a hard rubber. As long as you clean the glue after every use, the bottle and roller should last for years. There really is nothing to wear out. There's even a little "red plug" to seal the bottle between uses, so I don't have to empty the glue each time.

This is the easiest way I have found to glue baste my quilts. The glue is cheap at $10-$15 per gallon and will glue numerous quilts. Quick and easy to do, no chemical smell or overspray, and no puckers in the finished quilt. Hope these tips help.

Here's the link to the glue bottle I use:
Rockler 8 oz. Glue Bottle with Glue Roller | Rockler Woodworking and Hardware

My glue basting method is very simple. I spread the batting on a table. Position the backing or top over it. Pull back half. Drizzle glue from bottle in thin bead. I usually do a grid kind of where the pins would go. Then smooth up that half. There is time to smooth and adjust. Then pull back other half. At this point the first part is secure. Do other half. Flip over and do other side. If there is a glob just smooth with your finger. Sometimes I put the glue bottle in some warm water to make it flow easier depending on how warm the house is. I let it dry over night. I’m about 30 quilts in and have never had a pucker or wrinkle. It doesn’t gum up needle when dry. For me it replaces
pin basting not spray basting so don’t need it on every square inch. I also don’t have any hand, wrist, arm or shoulder issues which keep me from gently squeezing the bottle.

I glue baste but the tiny bottle with the needle leaves beads. Even spreading it with my fingers leaves gaps, as the needle only puts down a thin line at a time and is very hard to squeeze.

This sounds so much better! Thanks for the tip!

the glue doesn’t have to touch every surface if it is sort of where the pins would go. The little bottle
thr glue comes in with the orange tip is easier to squeeze