> On Jul 25, 2016, at 4:47 PM, Gary Roberts  wrote:
> 
> block (n.) 
> "solid piece," c. 1300, from Old French bloc "log, block" of wood (13c.), via
Middle Dutch bloc "trunk of a tree" or Old High German bloh, from a common
Germanic source, from PIE *bhlugo-, from *bhelg- "a thick plank, beam" (see
balk).
> ...............................
> Gary Roberts
> http://toolemera.com
> 
> "I'ld rather read a good book, than write a poor one." Christopher Morley

	Warning, Ed Minch, put your hands over your ears.

        I’ve mentioned this before, to the chagrin of Ed, but I must mention it
again.  Although Ed is technically correct in that the wooden structural
elements that prevent joist from twisting are known as “bridging”, I often hear
them old dudes refer to it as blocking.  Just this week I was reading an old
book about laying hardwood floors and the author referred to it as bridging when
it is in the form of two sticks crossed in an X-shaped pattern.  He called it
blocking when in the form of a full height cutoff of a joist.  It remains a
possibility, at least in my mind, that the plane was for trimming up said pieces
to fit between joists.

Just say, if you don’t wear a dust mask whilst working wood, you will be
bhlugoing and bhelging all over the place.

Regards,
Steve