Thanks Smitty for sharing your pattern. I did this in a piece of 1/4" Cherry and finished it with 321. I really like the design and the way it came out. Thanks for looking.
I use a #1 or less. Not a skip tooth for sure. I also found where I get mine must have gone with a cheaper supplier and have a thinner layer of Birch. I never had a problem before. It might just be cheap quality wood.