I was laying out a stair rail and needed to find the exact diameter of the ball atop a newel post. My calipers, naturally, were enjoying a day off back at the shop. I improvised by using my framing and combination squares as shown in the drawing, and I read the diameter directly off the framing square.
—Jim McConkey, Washington, DC
Edited and illustrated by Charles Miller
From Fine Homebuilding #40
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Great tip. My vernier doesn't have jaws large enough for some measurements and this is a good workaround.