How to Make a Pizza Spatula
Baking a pizza in a brick oven creates a thinner, crispier crust and a more even heating of the pie. In order to properly insert a pizza and remove it from a brick oven, you need a pizza spatula, also called a pizza peel, to lift the pie and keep your hands at a safe distance from the heat. A rudimentary pizza spatula is an easy woodworking project that requires two different cuts of wood and a few powered cutting appliances.
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Things You'll Need
- 2-by-2 sheet of 1/4-inch plywood
- 18-inch length of 2-by-4
- Pencil
- Jigsaw
- Table saw
- Router
- C-clamp
- Cordless drill with drill bit
- Heat-resistant wood glue
- Two 3-inch bolts with nuts and washers
- Heat-resistant wood sealant
Instructions
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1
Draw a basic design template on both your plywood and your 2-by-4 with your pencil. Do not forget that the bottom few inches of your 2-by-4 will overlap with the plywood. Make sure enough space is left on the plywood to hold an entire pizza.
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2
Bring both the plywood and the 2-by-4 to your jigsaw. Cut both the plywood and the 2-by-4 with the jigsaw to conform to your design template.
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3
Use your jigsaw to cut a section from the bottom of the spatula handle 1/4-inch wide across the length of the bottom face. This is where the spatula board will be connected to the spatula handle. Use your jigsaw to make a few arc-shaped cuts to a depth of two or three inches, and then use the jigsaw to square up the back and sides of the cut once you have reached the desired depth.
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4
Bring the plywood to the table saw. Angle the table saw to 45 degrees to make a beveled cut across the front of the spatula board. This will allow the board to easily slide under a pizza when you push it forward.
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5
Use a router to soften all the edges around the spatula board and handle, except for the beveled cut you made in the previous step.
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6
Place the back of the spatula board into the spatula handle incision you made in Step 3. Use a C-clamp to hold it in place.
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7
Drill two holes spaced 1 inch apart through the area where the spatula board and handle intersect. Slide out the spatula board and fill the opening with heat-resistant wood glue. Slide the spatula board back into the handle and secure both pieces with the 3-inch bolts. Thread a washer over the bolt, then the bolt through the hole. Thread another washer over the bolt and then tighten a nut over the entire assembly.
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8
Coat your entire pizza spatula with heat-resistant wood sealant to protect the wood. Allow the spatula a few days to dry before use.
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Tips & Warnings
Always take the proper precautions when working with power tools, especially saws.
