How to use a wrench or wood caliper to check the diameter

When turning bottle stoppers, bottle openers, and other projects where you want a specific diameter from one project to the next, an open-ended wrench is the perfect tool to use as a caliper. To determine the diameter needed for the turning, select a wrench with an opening size to match the needed diameter, and use it as a quick measuring tool when turning the project to shape. Or, if the wrench is too thick, transfer the opening size to a thin piece of stock, and cut it to size, and use that as a caliper. For example, when turning bottle stoppers, find a wrench whose opening measures the end of the chrome stopper that mates with the turned wood piece. Then, when turning the wood part of the stopper to shape, use the wrench or wood caliper to check the diameter of the turning until it is the desired diameter. When the turning reaches the necessary diameter, the tool will slip over the turning. This tip also works well when turning tenons to a particular diameter to fit into a mating mortise.