Cutting down a shell, the Japanese way.

A few words  about how I shortened this shell, working carefully and slowly, by hand.

First of all, I made a template using the existing mounting holes to draw the cutting line, the shell being cut a little wider that its final depth. I assumed the mounting holes were aligned, which is about right.

The final depth line was marked all around the shell using a cutter and a flexible ruler. After being completely refinished, I'll sand it down to that carved line.

I cut the shell down using a pull saw (aka Japanese saw), that has very fine teeth and that allows for a very accurate and fine cut.

Utility knife line on the left for final depth, saw cut on the right

There it is, piece of cake.