Today I replaced a fickle and therefore useless 8 y.o. electronic stud finder (red Zircon Videoscanner 5.5) with a simpler black Zircon Studsensor rated for a 3/4″ scan depth for wood or metal studs.
The new Zircon could not detect 2×6 wood or 2×4 metal studs, through 1/2″ DW. This in a commercial building. Good thing I was able to hide the numerous holes it took before I found the layout.
What electronic stud finder works for you guys?
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Replies
If you're using metal studs, get one of those oldstyle (if you can find one) flipper stud finders. The plastic bubble thing with the spinning "cig. filter" sized magnet. Works like a charm in commercial. Note: Could find conduit real easy.
In answer to your other question.................none reliably.
A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
Just bought a new one the other day. Still my favorite too.
I usually use a sheet of paper placed on the wall so I don't mark it with the magnetic stud finder. Was wondering if you had another technique?
I had only used that on metal studs and the occasional wood lath. After leaving commercial it made it's way I know not where. I just remember pulling it out on a metal stud shelf patrol and thanking anyone who could hear how it finally worked as advertised. Up till that point and now even after, figured all the electronic ones I tried had about the same hit/miss as that simple tool. I have since found a two y.o. ''deep scan'' whatever the hell brand, that does ok. On plaster, no way. OK on half inch sheetrock. I'd sooner (most of the time) tap with my knuckle, look for nails in tall base, probe outlets that chance the inevitable miss on electronics.
That's my method however antiquated.A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
This one isn't electronic, but it works every time, it's small, and it's cheap.
Buy two 3/4" rare earth magnets, a plain 1" steel washer, and a foot of string (braided fishing line works well).
Loop or tie the line thru the washer. Put a magnet on each side of the washer. You're done.
Hold the line so that the magnets are hanging down about 4 inches or so and move along the wall.
It'll find the nails in wood studs. It'll find a metal stud thru double 5/8" rock, or the screws. It'll find a metal stud thru most stucco.
Great to have when you need to "fish" for something.
Snap it onto the side of a screwdriver to magnetize it temporarily.
Drop it in the pocket of your tee shirt and it'll hold a bunch of screws to the outside of the shirt. Like when you're on your back, under a countertop or in a cabinet, it keeps the screws where you can find them.
And at about $4 the price is right... Buic
For the magnets, take apart an old disk drive.
If ignorance is bliss why aren't more people
happy?
For the magnets, take apart an old disk drive.
Thanks, just finished taking one apart. Those little suckers really do.
-Don
You stold my thunder.
Those hard drive magenets are friggin strong.
Good entertainment for the kids to see who can pull them apart
> Buy two 3/4" rare earth magnetsWhere? I can't find the big ones. I've tried Radio Shack, but they just have little bitty ones. Some, not all, hard drive magnets work well. I've tried a few of them and finally got a good one. The others just didn't have the strength to reliably indicate a screw/nail head.
http://www.leevalley.comAndy
"Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig." Robert A. Heinlein
"Get off your dead #### and on your dying feet." Mom
Woodcraft and Rockler should have them also.
As Andy and dday said, those 3 all carry them. Using two increases the strength quite a bit but the main reason I first did it was to sandwich the washer I had tied the fishing line to.
I've found that letting it hang on a line makes the reaction to steel more apparent. Just holding it in your hand and sliding it along the wall, your hand can overpower the magnatism and you miss "seeing" some things...Buic
>http://www.leevalley.com
>Woodcraft and Rockler should have them alsoThanks. I'll try them. What's the trick to not scuffing up the wall while you slide it along? I thought about putting my computer magnet in a little cloth bag but that might act as an insulator.
I use a tot lock "key" - a strong magnet encased in plastic with a hand grip. Recommended by Gary Katz in his crown moulding video.
Never heard of that item. Where do you get one?
Start here.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ tg/detail/-/B0000488W1?v=glance - 40k - Remodeling Contractor just on the other side of the Glass City
I've seen them at both the Orange Box and Ace Hardware. Correct name is Tot Lok.
I'm over at HD 2 or 3 times a week, so I'll look on my next trip.
A bit of cloth isn't going to "insulate" any more than a half-inch of drywall. But both are essentially transparent to magnetic fields -- it's Gauss that gets you.
If ignorance is bliss why aren't more people
happy?
If you know of a junk computer, just get it from the hard drive, should be two in each. I have mine from a few Hard drives, so I don't know the exact strength, other than very strong. When you get the magnets, you'll understand how strong they are and that a plastic bag, etc will have no effect on the magnets.
> Where? I can't find the big ones.
I got a huge honking one, an inch cube, good for 97 lbs., from:
http://www.rare-earth-magnets.com/
Keep it in a heavy duty plastic bag, and just dangle the bag alongside the wall. It protects the wall from getting marked, and you can carefully take the magnet out of the bag to make any tiny metal particles fall away from it. Otherwise, it'll pick up flakes of rust, hack saw dust, etc., and be a royal pain to clean.
-- J.S.
Pretty cool site. They don't offer the 1 inch ones any more and the 3/4 inch is out of stock. I'll check back with them later.
I have several old speaker magnets on my work bench... holds small screws, etc.
They are very strong...might work also.
Pete
I use a halogen light, or even a flashlight, shined parallel to the wall. You'll see the nails. Or I look to the left of the electrical boxes (most electricians are right handed, and so tend to nail the boxes to the right side of the studs). Failing that, I give the wall a shot with my fist, and look for the nail pops <G>.
Andy
"Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig." Robert A. Heinlein
"Get off your dead #### and on your dying feet." Mom
I have an old Zircon 20$ I've had for 20 years. Replaced a variable resistor in it once, drilled a hole so I could adjust it from the outside. It works great. I hope I don't have to go shopping.
As a backup I use the rare earth magnet about 3/4 circle 1/2 thick inside an old hankerchief. It can sometimes distinguish what the other thing is finding. If I find a nail as well as a electronic reading - I drill with conviction.
Thanks guys.