The second step of qin making process: chopping

Qins come in a myraid of styles. In the second step of the qin making process, the design of the qin is drawn onto the wood. The process usually begins with a proposed scheme of measurements for each part, from which paper patterns are drawn. These patterns are next copied onto the wood. To condition and scoop the top and bottom boards into a qin body, the maker must first saw out the qin shape. An axe is next used to chop out the basic shape of the qin, followed by the long plane, which is used to trim and condition the qin top. Using the curve measure as a guide for precision, used for detailed shaping. The qin bottom must be straight along the middle axis. A small curve should be trimmed acorss the sides. This photo shows the second step of qin making process which was demonstrated by Choi Chang-sau.