# finding studs/ joists etc.



## bosshogg (28 Nov 2011)

Posted over from an other category -

You don't need a stud finder to find studs or joists, just a hammer and a good ear. 
Everything struck by a hammer has a reverberating tone, according to density/thickness and if you tap along a wall or floor you can detect the difference where the covering boards go over a stud/joist. Mark your estimation on the floor board, and hammer a nail in the centre to confirm a joist. Coat the nail shank in soap to allow easy removal, once you've established one, measuring the centres of studs/joists is simple. On modern floors they will be metric, on older they will be imperial (use 1970 as an approx of the change over date) Metric will be set at either 400 or 600mm, imperial 16" or 24" (both are an approximation of the other) Remember to establish approx distance with the hammer before measuring, where it's almost right by sound it will be right by the rule.

Hope this is helpful...bosshogg



> Imagination is more important than knowledge...
> Albert Einstein 8)


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## Max Power (28 Nov 2011)

Very usefull BH


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## mailee (29 Nov 2011)

That is just the method I use. I was shown it many years ago. I have tried a few of the stud detectors without any success. (The one I have now goes wild anywhere on a wall!) I never trust electronics anymore. :roll:


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## MikeH (26 Dec 2011)

I used to use a similar process but I do find my Bosch stud finder very accurate and a lot faster. Well worth it in my opinion but whatever works for you is fine, and of course your method is a lot cheaper and never needs new batteries!


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## Jake (26 Dec 2011)

Which one is that, Mike?

The cheapos are useless unless you spend ages scanning for and lining up beeps from fastenings. But better to use one before using tippy-tap and "the nail" (or whatever) in case Sod has clipped a cable or pipe to the joist etc and your nail turns into a pipe/cable detector rather than a joist detector. 

I usually end up poking a couple of holes and using some wire to get the first joist and the spacing tbh - tippy tapping doesn't actually work for me that well - but a reliable detector would be an asset. 

I read lots of not so flattering descriptions of the very expensive wall scanner Bosch, so at that point gave up on finding one worth spending any money on (not that I would have spent that much, but if they can't make one that works at that price point, then it seemed an exercise in futility to try somewhere above cheapo).


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## Hudson Carpentry (26 Dec 2011)

Finders are useless, not found one that works great yet. I tend to tap with my knuckle on wall/ceiling and look at the nails/screws on flooring


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## Orcamesh (30 Dec 2011)

I would be careful about knocking nails in, you never know what you might hit! DAMHIKT!!! ;~(

On a similar subject (not necessarily woodwork), I need to get some speaker cables hidden in a dot and dabbed wall, can anyone suggest a good way of routing the cables from the drilled hole (at about 2m up from the floor) down to the skirting?

I guess the dot and dabs are randomly placed behind the plasterboard so this could make this task a bit tricky, but I have no experience here?

Maybe I jst have to try and feed the cable down through the hole and hope it comes out the bottom eventually.

Any comments welcome...

cheers
Steve


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## kostello (30 Dec 2011)

http://www.cablerod.com/

these are handy for that sort of thing as they are less likely to get hung up on stuff..................

poke through and then attach the cable and pull back slowly................


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## Orcamesh (30 Dec 2011)

kostello":326ektg9 said:


> http://www.cablerod.com/
> 
> these are handy for that sort of thing as they are less likely to get hung up on stuff..................
> 
> poke through and then attach the cable and pull back slowly................



Thanks for the heads-up Kostello, I went out and bought some of these (basic set) and they have provided hours of fun today! :lol: Still, I have now got most speakers and TV cables behind the walls, so they have been v useful. Just a couple left to do in the morning...


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## kostello (31 Dec 2011)

"they have provided hours of fun today! "

and a little swearing awell i'm sure!!


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## Orcamesh (31 Dec 2011)

Yep!! I think I have used up my annual swearing quota, good news the new year starts tomorrow!


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## katellwood (30 Jan 2012)

For accuracy in finding studs one method I have utilised in the past is the find the plasterboard fixings (either nails or screws) with rare earth magnets. If you use half a dozen you can usually plot the whole wall without the need for continual tapping or trial and error with your fixings


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## harris (7 Feb 2012)

In connection with feeding light weight cables behind dab and plaster walls, I recently saw a lighting engineer use his favourite method. Drill the hole in the wall, feed in a length of string with a small nut/washer tied to it for a bit of weight and put a vacuum cleaner hose by the hole in the skirting. In a couple of minutes the string was sucked out of the bottom hole providing a "pull cord". Magic or what?
Fred.


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