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I already discovered that I have to apply the yellow glue to the balsa, not the paper, lest it start to wrinkle/get soggy immediately.
I've arrived at the opposite conclusion, net of dozen+ sets of papered fins.
Namely, apply TBII to the paper (regular printer paper stock ,or thicker), remove excess by finger, then apply to the fin core. Do both sides at once, then stick the finished product under something heavy (e.g.: cutting mat on my desk).
If you apply glue to the fin directly, much of it will get absorbed into balsa. This will warp the balsa as the glue dries, unless you somehow succeed in soaking-in identical quantities of glue to both sides of the fin.
YMMV.
And once pressed on to the balsa, that paper isn't going anywhere - even using a roller to smooth it out is dicey. Probably due to the learning curve, as expected.
If you had removed excess amount of glue from the paper before applying it to the fin, there wont be any need for a roller or a squeegee.
This can be tricky if you had printed a design on the outside of the paper, but doable.
Otherwise, just spread the wood glue (TBII) 1/8" beyond the fin outline on the paper, and the exact alignment wont matter.
How long should I let the fin dry before removing from under the stack of books. I was thinking a day or two.
Overnight works for me with TBII.
Once you start cutting paper overhands, you will know if the glue had dried fully, or the fin needs to go back under the mat for a bit longer.
Don't start sanding and CA-ing the edges until the glue is fully tried, else the edges may start tearing.
HTH