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hsiang have one coat of incense powder only. The joss sticks produced do not necessarily have to be dried under the sun. They can either be blown dry or put under the sun for 5-6 hours. The joss sticks produced by this method vary in lengths from 6 ts'un 8 fên to 1 ch'ih 6 ts'un. The shorter ones may have their handles dyed red, but it is more common for them to be wrapped in silvery paper.
Moulding Method
Joss sticks of still greater lengths and widths are produced by moulding. By this method, joss sticks of 1 ch'ih 5 ts'un, 2 ch'ih, 3 ch'ih 6 ts'un, 4 ch'ih 8 ts'un and up to 6 ch'ih are manufactured. The corresponding diameters are 5 fên, 6 fên, 2 ts'un, 5 ts'un and 7 ts'un. To support such a thick coat of incense, a stick bamboo, rather than a bamboo sliver, is used as the core material. The manufacturing process is done entirely with bare hands. Incense paste is moistened with water to such a consistency that it is easily stretchable. It is then put on top of a bamboo cane and moulded in a downward direction by squeezing and working with the hands until the bamboo is evenly covered with incense paste. The excess paste is then removed. The outer coat of the joss stick is put on by means of rolling on a pile of coloured fragrance and then a wooden slab is used to smooth the surface of the stick. Finally the sticks are hung in a sheltered but well ventilated place. Drying under direct sunlight is strictly avoided as the high speed of evaporation will result in cracks on the surface.
Winding Method
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The last method is for the production of incense coils by winding. Incense paste squeezed into the shape of strings is wound around a metal ring, the width of the string determining the duration of burning. Incense coils are then classified into half-day coils, full-day coils, 7 day coils, 14 day coils and 30 day coils. Winding must be done on a flat surface in order that the strings can be coiled neatly. Then they have to be unfolded onto a rattan rack to allow free circulation of air. The unfolding is done dextrously by two incense coil workers.
In the early days, squeezing was done with a wooden press (mu t'ou cha). Though this wooden press is no longer in use, Osgood, writing in the mid-seventies, provides a detailed description,