Baltic birch

[Tom Gi]

I use blue painters tape then Elmer’s rubber cement to put my pattern on 

the tape seems to stick more to the BB with the newest BB that I got and peel up the fibers when I peal it off

is there any way to peel up the painters tape without it pulling up the fibers of the Baltic birch. Thanks

[Fab4]

Hi Tom:
If I sand the BB before applying the tape, it seems to help minimize the pulling up of the fibers
It's not 100% foolproof but I find it helps.
Just curious though, is it possible that the rubber cement is bleeding through the tape making  
the peeling of the tape a tad harder.  Just thought I would ask.
Fab4

[kmmcrafts]

What color painters tape? I've read that different colors have different levels of stickiness and maybe it's nothing to do with the plywood but rather the tape?

Maybe a heat gun to heat up the tape some before peeling it off? 

[Tom Gi]

I got it from Menards 

Blue

[Fab4]

3 minutes ago, Tom Gi said:

I got it from Menards 

Blue

I have always used green from the dollar store.
Apparently there is 6 different colors with different levels of adhesion, I did not know this.
Kev may be onto something here.
Blue - medium adhesion
Green - medium to high adhesion
Yellow/Gold - very low adhesion
Purple - low to medium adhesion
Orange - High adhesion
White - Low adhesionlevels of adhesion
I'll be trying different colors in the near future
Fab4

[kmmcrafts]

I quit using tape years ago when I learned about the shelf liner and discovered the liner is a little less sticky than the blue tape. I use the tape sometimes if I have to cover a small amount where the liner may not have quite covered and there’s a noticeable difference when removing it. 
That said though, if you leave the liner on for a long period of time it will stick so good it’s almost impossible to remove it without heat or something that will soften up the adhesive.

Another thing I noticed is there’s some sort of chemical reaction to the shelf liner and some spray adhesives that will make it stick too hard to. I have mostly used full sheet self adhesive shipping labels to print off my patterns so mostly no issues with sticking too tight. 

[TAIrving]

9 hours ago, Fab4 said:

I have always used green from the dollar store.
Apparently there is 6 different colors with different levels of adhesion, I did not know this.
Kev may be onto something here.
Blue - medium adhesion
Green - medium to high adhesion
Yellow/Gold - very low adhesion
Purple - low to medium adhesion
Orange - High adhesion
White - Low adhesionlevels of adhesion
I'll be trying different colors in the near future
Fab4

Thanks Paul, I did not know that.  I knew about the blue and green but not the others.  

[BadBob]

I have had 3M blue tape pull chunks of wood out. I avoid using it when possible. 

[Gonzo]

I spray a light coat of shellac on the wood prior to putting on pattern.   It helps to keep the fibers from coming up. 

Edited Saturday at 12:10 PM by Gonzo

[Joe W.]

On 9/11/2026 at 7:42 AM, kmmcrafts said:

I quit using tape years ago when I learned about the shelf liner and discovered the liner is a little less sticky than the blue tape. I use the tape sometimes if I have to cover a small amount where the liner may not have quite covered and there’s a noticeable difference when removing it. 
That said though, if you leave the liner on for a long period of time it will stick so good it’s almost impossible to remove it without heat or something that will soften up the adhesive.

This has worked well for me also.  Got my shelf liner from Walmart.

[FrankEV]

If you take care to pull up the tape, or even  the shelf liner, so you are pulling with the grain an not against or across the grain, fiber pull out will be minimized. 

Also, be sure to sand with 600 grit and wipe clean prior to applying tape or shelf liner. 

And, make sure the better quality side of the panel is the side the tape or shelf liner is being applied to. Most BB ply has two different side grades. Something like: A/B, B/B, B/C.  You need to know the finish side quality grade befor purchase.  The better grade cost more, but worth it as the fibers won't pull up. Look on Amazon for panels recommended for laser cutting, as they are best quality BB ply.  Big box store BB ply is usually low grade 

And, one more thing, do not leave the tape or shelf liner on too long.  Apply just before cutting and remove as soon as possible.  The adhesives tends to stick tighter if left on for extended periods of time.  

I don't reccomed cutting BB ply at all for the finish piece. I only use it as the backer.  I prefer to cut Maple, Birch, Walnut, etc.  I buy precut 3/32x12x19 ply panels from Home Depot.  Not cheap, but home delivery is free.

Just my two cents hoping it helps.

Edited 18 hours ago by FrankEV

[kmmcrafts]

Laser plywood is typically a little more expensive BUT, you do get what you pay for in this area because lasers are very fussy about being consistent and flat.. You put a slightly warped piece in a laser and the laser loses focus on the unevenness so flat pieces are very important. I've used the stuff Frank mentioned in both my laser and scrolling and it's great stuff. That said I also find it annoying for me to have to deal with such small pieces.. so I like to order from creative cut supplies.. The core in their plywood is actually wood ( I think balsa wood? ) and it's very consistent throughout the wood and stays flat fairly well and comes in several different species. You can get it prefinished too and all of it is good both sides I think. Comes in 1/8 or 1/4. Many laser plywoods are MDF I guess is what it's called? like the pressed cardboard looking stuff anyway and it's junk for both lasering and scrollsawing in my opinion, though many laser folks love it but I hate it as it smells horrible for days after lasering on it and it's very smokey when cutting.   The stuff from HD that Frank mentioned is good stuff and the stuff from www.creativecutsupplies.com is good stuff. I've never personally used the stuff from creative cut supplies on a scroll saw yet but have worked with it a enough on the laser I'm pretty sure it'd be good on the scroll saw too.