Leveling the Frame

I slipped back indoors through the foyer and scrambled up the wooden framework of the hallway console table. At the far end, a small oak picture frame was listing at an obvious tilt, threatening its structural balance. To calculate the precise slope, I retrieved a smooth steel ball bearing from my pocket and set it down. It immediately rolled left! I needed a calibrated shim. After giving the table's polished grain a firm scratch to test surface friction, I folded a stiff strip of kraft card into a triple-layer wedge. Bracing my back, I hoisted the frame's corner and slotted the shim underneath. The ball bearing now sits dead center without moving a millimeter.