And @jamiesingh hit the nail on the head about straight hair being easier. The curl clumps and shrinkage mess with your depth perception big time. I think the method just doesn't give you enough control when the hair wants to spring back and hide.

Wait hold up, that cover with the clown isn't from the 80s, it's actually the 1986 first edition cover but the one with the red balloon and the kid on the bike came out way later in the 90s. I think you might be mixing up the original Thomas Harris style cover with the movie tie-in one, because the really creepy one with just the clown face was from the 1987 printing. I've found all sorts of notes in old books too, my best was a 1970s grocery list tucked inside a John le Carre novel with prices that made me laugh out loud.

Start by using a small piece of poster putty instead of a big glob, that usually stops the oil from soaking through. You can also try washi tape on the edges if you don't need it to hold up much weight.

Wait, so you're saying the timer was the real game changer, not the cubes themselves? Did you find a specific time limit that worked best for you, or was it more about the pressure of the countdown ticking away? I'm curious if you stick to that same 3 minutes or if you adjust it depending on the idea.

Had my friend Cheryl buy one of those cheap glue guns from Family Dollar for a school project and the trigger literally snapped off after the second squeeze, plastic pieces went everywhere. She said the glue itself was actually fine for sticking foam sheets together but the gun was just too flimsy to handle any real pressure. Ended up borrowing my proper one from the craft closet and finished the whole thing without issues. I think for small stuff those dollar store guns can work but if you're pushing on them hard or using them for more than a few minutes they just give up.