Pizza Peel - Number 4

One oak board.   One walnut Board.  One maple Board

   Back on Dec. 3rd, 2017, I blogged about making some pizza peels for Christmas gifts.    Two things resulted from that little project.   First I was surprised at how not too many people know what a pizza peel is and what it is used for.    The second was the number of favorable comments that I received from people who saw the peels or pictures of the peels indicating that I should make more of those.  Since then I have had a couple serious requests asking if I could make one another one.   Also there was the suggestion that maybe I should make some of these peels for the benefit auction that our woodworking club holds every year in December.

Maple in the center followed by walnut and then oak

    I may do that, but I'll think more on that once we are within three or four days on submitting our projects. (I'm more of a last minute crisis kind of guy.)    For now I had a request to make one of these pizza peels as soon as possible.  That is what we worked on this past week.

Sometimes I use wax paper to keep the glue from
sticking to my clamping cauls. 

   These pizza peels are 1/2 inch thick and with the handle they are almost 30 inches long.   The purpose for a pizza peel is that you can use it to reach into the oven to retrieve your cooked pizza and slide it on the large end to lift it out without burning yourself from all that good old gooey melted cheese.  Once you have your pizza out of the oven you can use the peel as a cutting board to cut that pizza in pieces.   We have one that I build years ago (not quite the same pattern, but close) and we are still using it.

There is a extra piece glued to the handle which makes
it easier to hold on to.   

  I was showing one of these peels to a young fellow who will be a freshman in High School next fall at our home town  and he was telling me that when they have their big family reunions in the summer, his mom will make one hamburger out of five pounds of meat.   They put it on the grill.  The problem they sometimes have is when they have to flip the burger over so that  they can grill the other side.    He was wondering if something like this pizza peel could work for that.    I'm trying to imagine the size of a five pound hamburger.    It might be something I will have to look into.

      Like most things, when I make something for the second or third time I have a template or two to work off of.    Usually the fourth or fifth one is a little easier and quicker to make.   (It seems like my scrap wood pile is shrinking down, but my storage box for templates is growing...)  This one turned out nice. 
     For the next few weeks bear with me as you'll see more repeat projects - things that I have done before but will be making another one.   

   In the mean time - life is good.  (Just keep the cat food dish full, the litter box clean, and clean up the regurgitated hair balls when needed and the wife will have a pal forever.)