Thread: Stud finders

Hi Sam,

You just jogged my memory from this post I read the other day:
New type of Stud Finder - Easy As
I haven't seen one in the flesh but would be interested in checking one out.

Cheers

Stinky

Sam,
I had one of the old Stanley grey/green ones which seemed to work OK but a year or so ago it just wouldn't calibrate (I assume because something inside has aged). I went down to Bunnings the other day and got another Stanley (Fatmax 300). Well, the first one rattled and didn't seem to work so I took it back. The impression I got was a lot of them come back as the girl seemed exasperated and asked was the battery new, did I set it up first etc. When I showed her it rattled from something loose inside she immediately changed her attitude and asked if I wanted my money back (which also makes me think they get a lot returned), but I swapped it for another. Unfortuneately, still no luck. I've watched the Stanley video on You tube, I've tried it a number of times on areas where I know there is wood and/or pipes and/or cables and it is just so unpredictable. It seems to be _almost_ working sometimes but clearly not at others, hugely frustrated. I was going to take the second one back, but probably too much time has passed now and I just think stuff it.

Regards
SWK

Now after having written all that I got the stud finder out and messed about with it a bit. Doesn't work a damn on my walls, just like it always did, lights flash the LCD screen flickers and it makes no sense, but then I put it on the side of a chip board book shelf and it worked perfectly and picked up the shelves on the inside. ###!

I went for a walk down the Aisle in Bunning's where they keep the stud finders, and damn me if every single one didn't start beeping!

A lot of my colleagues in the sparky trade hate their stud finders. Despite being a "junior" member of the team, I ask them to show me how they use them.

Almost to a man they all set the finder against the wall, switch on and then scan. WRONG!

The scanner must be switched on to calibrate over a "hollow" section of wall cavity. This allows it to detect increased levels of density as when passing over scantling etc. If it still doesn't work then calibrate again in a similar manner, as there may have been a noggin or stud nearby when originally calibrated.

Using this method I seem to get reliable, repeatable results from even "cheap & Nasty" scanners.

I have found stud finders to be a guide only. At the moment I am using cheap ($10-15) Stanley stud finders and they are not to bad.

Have had a black and decker for 8 + years and it started to give me false/ no readings so wacked a new battery in and no change, figured it had run out of "find". Replaced it with Stanley fat max and 1 year on it works like a charm have had absolutely no problems with it.
Search - Bunnings Warehouse
Looks like the franklin could also be worthwhile ,
cheers

Originally Posted by Wrongwayfirst

Looks like the franklin could also be worthwhile ,
cheers

Moi?

I just tap, tap, tap with my knuckle and locate the none hollow sound. Then check every 450 (or other regular spacing) to confirm location. Works well most of the time.

Franklin

Thanks for all the replies, that Franklin one certainly gets good reviews and I like the fact it doesnt beep!

I've been tapping on the wall and 9 out of 10 times it works but last week I was in a client's house knocking up and down the wall and I just wasnt sure. Plus their dog was going beserk because it sounded like a mad man at the front door so I thought there must be a better way !

i have posted in that renovation thread already, the franklin is great.

i have dropped a bit of money over the years, even went down the fatmax 300 line and had the exact same results as the other poster here, it wouldnt calibrate, no matter where i put it. The franklin just works, and works well. It has actually changed the way i install kitchens as i pretty much map out all the studs before install and predrill my cabinets and touch wood, i have hit the studs everytime.

its never going to tell you whats behind that, but untill x-ray scanners and those cool holiwood see thru walls glasses become reality, it does the job

G

I bought one of those Fatmax stud finders and it seems to suffer some type of dyslexia!!

I found the Stanley was good for finding power lines but for studs the best has been a $15 special from Aldi.

Ross

Originally Posted by Fuzzie

Moi?

I just tap, tap, tap with my knuckle and locate the none hollow sound. Then check every 450 (or other regular spacing) to confirm location. Works well most of the time.

Franklin

Ha ha I did tap tap for many years and usually got it the third time, stud finder narrowed it down as you don't always need three hooks to hang a photo frame
must be tone deaf even had our service guy (professional tap tapper he would hang 20-30 dispensers a day) give that exasperated look after trying to let me hear the difference way too many times practising on the office walls. If the stud finder gets it wrong i am still usually better off ha ha.

I took one of our wall-mounted kitchen cupboards off the wall during recent renovations.....and behind it found a horizontal row of 20 or so holes (not exaggerating) in the plasterboard. It looks like someone machine-gunned the wall. Seems the original kitchen installers had neither a stud finder nor ears. If you drill enough holes you're sure to hit something, right?

Mind you - these were the guys who had to come back three times just to get the cupboards level. When a 1m long cupboard is out of level by so much that you can see it with the naked eye, you know that they don't believe in spirit levels either.

Needless to say the kitchen company concerned is no longer on my Xmas card list.

There's cowboys in every trade....