Are there reasonable substitutes for wood veneers, things like heavy paper, etc? Consistent thickness, readily available and a variety of colors are my preferences.
Something with a stiffness like heavy card stock would ideal. Thin, but stiff enough that it could be inserted into a narrow saw kerf.
I've seen pictures of segmented turnings mentioning dyed cloth. In that case I assume the glue penetrated through the fabric reaching the solid wood on both sides. For my uses cloth would not be stiff enough to insert into a glue filled kerf.