The Woodshop Shed

What'dya Know? A Priest? Really?

Furnished content.
(from Lumberjocks.com)


So, I'm working in the cockpit of a boat at a marina when a guy steps up and introduced himself having talked to some of the other boat owners I had done work for wanted to know if I might make him a “fish billie”. Now me, being a man of the world, I turned to him with my most intelligent expression and said; “Huh”? Well with a bit more information forthcoming I found out that he was a new fisherman and when his catch was brought aboard, he would like to send it to fish heaven with a quick bash between the blinkers. With me so far? So, after some more chatter I asked him if he'd like to come up to my shop and turn this fish killer himself. Well, this was met with great enthusiasm because sometime in his youth he had run a lathe. Unfortunately, he was headed out of the country for an extended period. I thought I'd just wait till his return and offer again. Then a thing happened to me that must happen to us all at least once if not more. I was bitten by the project bug and now I needed to create this halibut hammer. After doing a bit of online research I discovered that another name for this implement of Piscean mayhem was also known as a priest! Go figure! Now I HAD to make one. So, using an English design I turned this from Burmese teak and lignum vitae. They blended quite well together, joined by a blind hardwood tenon with wedges and glue. I knew that with the lignum vitae it was sure that any fish that took a smack from this thing would be off to salmon Valhalla in a flash. In the end Tom (remember Tom?) came back to the marina and has been presented with his new “fish billie”. He seemed quite pleased, (you can tell from the picture) even if he didn't get to turn it himself.

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