Hello Paul! The chunk of 1/4" (6mm, really) Baltic birch has been working perfectly for this application; it's plenty stiff even when used with a couple sawhorses or roller stands for support; the grain is very fine and I never give a thought to its direction; the veneers are satisfyingly thick (one of the reasons I like Baltic birch); and it's cheap enough when you consider what you're getting. It responds to sanding very readily on both faces and edges for snag-free cloth wrangling.

I didn't plan this in advance, just had the half-sheet laying around when I was facing a big cloth cutting session, and was trying to think up an easier way. The piece of plywood and rotary cutter are now very near completing a third boat, and both are still in primo condition; the cutter still cuts perfectly, and the wood make a splendid cutting board.

: I'm kinda surprised the 1/4 inch plywood is stiff enough to work
: without something under it (like a workbench). Those garbage
: cans must give it a lot of support.

: Are you cutting with the rotary cutter moving at right angles to
: the grain on the face of the plywood?

: I don't use expensive baltic birch. I use the cheapest Lauan. I've
: found that when I make repetitive cuts in the same direction as
: the grain I eventually cut free long thin slivers of the wood.
: These aren't a problem as long as I catch them before they stick
: me. Cutting across the grain minimizes these. I wonder if the
: thin face veneer on the lauan is more likely to splinter.

: PGJ