A lightweight piece of cardboard will do the same, a little bigger…

We also use thin cardboard/thick cardstock (large ad postcards from the mail work beautifully). I do not think I’ve thought of a spatula – but on the other hand, when you have something that works, you don’t necessarily keep exploring possibilities.

(what is “doing it right” incidentally? moving the pieces by hand in clumps and then reassembling them? or by cardboard/paper? or does he have The Touch such that no aggregated puzzle pieces ever break apart for him?)(but also: whatever way of doing a hobby that you most enjoy is *probably* the right way, more or less – one does not *need* to be Maximally Efficient or Avoid Using Additional Tools or Always Use Additional Tools – so he may be right as well as everyone else being right on this one…)

Well now there are 2 new ideas! I generally build inside the edges and don’t think I’ve ever tried lifting a section into the middle.