As the block grip would be relatively thin, I initially debated using slicer to form a core material, but decided that shaping the clay onto a 2x4 would be sufficient support, and the use of a core material would impede my shaping the clay more than it helped.

I began by packing clay onto the 2x4 and using the rake tool to flatten it, but quickly noticed I was straying from my desired dimensions and needed a more precise tool. For this, I laser cut a piece of acrylic which I used to rake away excess clay and get it to the desired thickness (0.25in).