David, you have to take into consideration, the kind of wood that you will use for what project. If you are cutting a name for desk-top, I would use a thicker piece of solid wood & not plywood. I always used 1 in. oak so it would stand by itself. Other projects are good with plywood, but, be careful of using the box store plywood. I have had problems with Lowes & Home Depot plywood. The laminate splinters as you cut it & is not a smooth cut. Leaves a rough finish. I do agree with others here about the 1/4 in. or 1/8 in. cutting very quickly, so you have to be very careful & try to cut slower. Just practice, practice, practice.
Happy Scrolling