Wooden Rakusu Rings

I'm a wood worker and a zen practitioner. I make wooden rakusu rings. Below are the images of rings I've made and are in service around the country. This is a sampling, the currently available rings and the one I might make for you are different because wood color and grain pattern, even in the same species of wood, are varied. Click on the image for a higher resolution view.



If you see any here you like, email at will@kestrelcreek.com. Please enclose details about your practice, the group and linage you practice in, when and with whom you will be taking jukai. Anything you'd be willing to share.



Woods I used in the past.

• Birds Eye Maple
• Pacific Yew
• Box Elder
• Walnut
• Madrone
• Ash
• Lacewood
• Apple
• Spalted Birch

Precept guide, rakusu pattern and photos of a completed rakusu. http://palousezen.org/jukai.html

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Spalted River Birch (Spalting varied a lot, this one is medium)

From Available Rakusu Rings

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Apple

From Available Rakusu Rings

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Birds Eye Maple with natural dark streaks.

From Available Rakusu Rings

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Box Elder with a small bark inclusion.

From Available Rakusu Rings

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Birds Eye Maple with natural dark streak.

From Available Rakusu Rings

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Birds Eye Maple

From Available Rakusu Rings

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Box Elder Burl

From Available Rakusu Rings

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Birds Eye Maple

From Available Rakusu Rings

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Box Elder with a natural reddish streak.

From Available Rakusu Rings

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Walnut One

From Available Rakusu Rings

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Madrone Burl

From Available Rakusu Rings

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Walnut Two

From Available Rakusu Rings

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Box Elder Burl One

From Available Rakusu Rings

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Ash One

From Available Rakusu Rings

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Ash Two

From Available Rakusu Rings

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Box Elder Burl Two

From Available Rakusu Rings

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Lace Wood One

From Available Rakusu Rings

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Lace Wood Two

From Available Rakusu Rings

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Smooth sanded spoons

Spalted Maple with ripple figure

Birch spoons, near spoon from birch from UofI arboretum, likely exotic. 

Also birch, near spoon River Birch.

The spoons are of the last few weeks production. I do work in a rustic leave the knife makes on the wood style and also a sanded smooth finish. These are of the latter. Buffed and waxed with a fine luster. The maple spoon really look great finely finished. I am looking for so wood that will led itself to a rougher finish. Fresh, I doo have a lead on some Honey Locust.


My Spinal went uneventful. Probably worked too much around it and took it too lightly. It will be a week or so before I'll have the results. Many of the tests are not usually done locally and have to be sent out by the lab. It seemed as I escaped the headaches usually associated with spinal taps but yesterday and today splitting headaches. Of course the walking into the tree headfirst causing scalp bleeding might have something to do with it.

Wish me luck

This morning I go in for a spinal tap. My neurologist really is interested in confirming what this is that I have.

I've been making Rakasu Rings for a while. Let me now if you could use one.

It has been awhile

Reset.

I have be diagnosed with a brain condition which goes by the acronym of CLIPPERS. Chronic lymphocytic inflammation with pontinocelebellar perivascular enhancement responsive to steroids or CLIPPERS for short. Most of the cases, of which there are only a few, show on MRI involvement of the pontine, a small midline structure deep in the brain. My involvement is only in the cerebellum, which connects with the pontine.

Here are some pictures that show my brain.

Post Contrast T2

It doesn't look like much but the symtoms are pretty rough. Fortunately they are not so bad as to prevent me from working. Sometime I should write down the whole affair. Brain biopsy, cancer workup, full body CT and multiple lumbar punctures. Turns out that steroids are the treatment and they worked originally. Then after 4 months I went 6 weeks without a treatment and had a relapse and now have to basically start over. 

Anyways, enough for now about my brain. Been in the shop some and have some spoons that I have to photograph for the blog.