After he graduated from middle school, Hsikuan Temple next to his home was starting a major remodeling project, and Chen Chao-lin found time to watch the sculptors and carvers at work. Since the master carvers would not let people watch, Chen would wait until they had left to secretly study their handiwork, learning all kinds of techniques with different sculpting knives.
國中畢業後，正逢住家旁的宜蘭西關廟進行重建翻新，陳兆麟得空就前去觀察雕刻師的工作，看到師傅趕人，他就利用師傅下工後，再偷偷跑去研究推敲，揣摩出各種雕刻刀的使用方法。