How to Make a Skateboard Eraser
- 1). Wash your hands, the work surface and all tools thoroughly before working with eraser clay. Dry your hands and use your dirty clay to remove anything you might have missed. "Dirty clay" is a sculptor's ball of unused clay and its purpose is to clean hands and the work surface before a project.
- 2). Knead eraser clay until it is warm, soft and smooth, like the consistency of warm taffy. This is called conditioning and must be performed on any eraser clay you intend to use.
- 3). Roll the eraser clay it into five balls. You'll need four dime-sized balls and one ball the size of a half dollar. Set the balls aside so they can cool to room temperature. Clay that is too warm won't hold a sculpted shape.
- 4). Pick one of the dime-sized balls to work with first. Hold it gently between your thumb and forefinger. Tap it on the work surface to create a flat side. Flip the ball over in your hand and tap the opposite side to form a basic wheel shape. Poke the center of the wheel with a tooth pick to create a divot. Repeat the process for the remaining three wheels.
- 5). Grasp the large ball of eraser clay and lightly flatten it in your hand until it's 1/2 inch thick. Tap each side on the table to form the circle into a rectangle. Use a CD case to flatten the clay to a uniform thickness.
- 6). Stand the rectangle on end and rock it back and forth on the table to create a curve on each end, effectively rounding the ends like a skateboard. Grasp the tips of the new skateboard deck with your thumb and forefinger. Gently guide the deck ends up to make a slight curve.
- 7). Cut two toothpicks 1/4 inch wider than the skateboard deck, leaving a point on one end. Position one toothpick on the end to use as an axle for the wheels. Insert the point of the toothpick into the eraser clay and twist the toothpick tip while applying pressure. Pass the toothpick through the skateboard deck and repeat the process for the second axle.
- 8). Push the wheels onto the toothpick axles puncturing the wheels. Roll a small piece of eraser clay into a cane the thickness of a toothpick. Cut four pieces of the cane the thickness of a clay knife. Roll these pieces into balls. Push the balls onto the toothpick ends to create center-caps for the wheels. Bake the skateboard eraser in a craft-safe oven using the manufacturer's directions.
Source...