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Athena skateboard lamp

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I bought a skateboard deck to customize with acrylic paint.

 

When considering and researching how I wanted the skateboard oriented and hung on my wall, I came across Pinterest images of skateboards turned into home appliances, furniture, and shelves. Inspired, I decided to turn my skateboard deck into a lamp. I ordered double-sided light sockets with wires, a lamp cord, and wire connectors on the internet.

 

While I waited for my supplies, I began painting the board.

At first, I considered creating an intricate pattern along the board. However, when brainstorming, I became inspired by Neoclassical depictions of Greek gods and decided to paint Athena (based on the Statue of Athena, Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece). Painting a whole skateboard deck would take a lot of paint, so I decided to save money by only using two paint bottles (black & white). I already had gold flakes from a previous project and figured they would be the perfect accent to the black and white Athena painting and would also reflect the light coming from the bulbs.

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Once the light sockets were secured at the front of the board, I used two wire connectors and electrical tape to connect the wires on the back of the board. I bought a cord with a light switch on it, so when the skateboard is hung on a wall, I don't have to plug and unplug it whenever I want my lamp to turn on. Next, it was time to test my lamp! 

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After I completed my painting, I moved on to building the lamp. I had to drill two holes at the top and bottom of the board to thread the wires to the back of the skateboard. As I didn't have a drill on hand, I had to wait a bit and borrow my friend's drill. In the meantime, I got a little impatient and broke some screws, trying to screw the brackets into the board with a cheaper electric screwdriver. 

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I used Edison bulbs so the light bulbs wouldn't cover the Athena painting behind it; instead, they would accent it. Overall, I am very happy with my lamp and can't wait to hang it on my wall. 

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