Basing / Glue Question

[Vextol]

Question for anyone who knows.

What am I doing wrong?

I know everyone goes on about PVA (Elmers White, non student correct?) on bases and how you spray it down, drop on some trees or grass or magic, give it a spritz, give it an hour and you have this beautiful, rock hard grass on the base.  I have literally DRENCHED my grass and flocking and bush parts (whatever those are) and my stuff doesn't stick worth a damn.  Glue thinned or left thick, no difference.

I've tried making Pine trees as well out of 4 inch gutter bristles.  With my experience, I think the inside of toilets should be made out of that stuff because NOTHING will stick to it.  I've watched a plethora of videos of people doing it with great success though so I know it's not the bristles.  I made 'filter trees' that didn't stick at all until I literally submerged them in a vat of white glue then let them dry for 6 days.  Filters are DESIGNED to keep things on them 😡

Anyway, why won't my things stick?  What am I doing wrong here?  Because if I watch one more video where someone sprays like two squirts onto a base and it's fabulous, I may lose my mind.

Also, for the overseas people, every time I purchase a model online from Europe, it has this grey 'rocky-ish' base.   On really old models, it peels off in a sheet.  On new models, it holds like iron.  What is that?  I know there are probably lots of options, but I didn't know if there was some standard that was very common.

Thanks!

[RuneBrush]

Any chance of some pictures?  Can't quite visualise it in my head (note, that I'm on coffee level zero currently so that may contribute)

[JackStreicher]

Images would help. Some people use „Uhu all-purpose glue“ for their basing, maybe that‘s what is getting hard.

if I thin down my pvc glue (white glue) it gets less sticky. Usually you have to push the stuff you want to stick a little into the unthinned glue.

[stato]

Yeah, cant say ive seen the 'spray' method?  do you have a video link.

Same for the model rocky base?  is that a premade basing you are talking about, again links would help.

 

I use PVA for stuff, mixed with water (depending how thick it was originally, some is already very watery) then cover in sand or rocks. I use superglue to fasten tufts or bigger rocks.