How is miter size determined when field measuring an elbow?

• A. Use a standard table from manual
• B. Measure the heel, throat, and divide the number of miters
• C. Measure the heel and throat only
• D. Add up the angles and multiply by height

Answer: (B)

When you’re field-measuring an elbow, you want each miter to share the bend evenly. The measurements you use are the heel and the throat—the outer and inner extents of the cut on the elbow face. The distance between those points captures the total miter run around the bend. Once you have that total, you divide it by the number of miters used in the elbow to get the size of each individual miter cut. This directly reflects the actual bend you’re fabricating, ensuring the pieces fit together correctly.

Using a standard table might work for known, factory-made elbows, but in field work it often doesn’t match what you’re measuring. Measuring only one dimension won’t give you the per-miter size without knowing how many miters there are, and adding angles and height isn’t how you determine the cut size for the miters.