OT again: stud finders and laser levels

[thegunner]

so i will in 30 days be a first time homeowner (well, it's an apartment in NYC, but whatever, technicalities). this will be the first time i'm allowed to drill into the wall to install things and the sheer thought of this is exciting beyond all belief.

now... do the $10 magnet drive stud finders work as well as the $80 electrical wunderkinds? similarly, do the $30 laser levels fail hard in the face of $200 tripod mounted ones?

i'm so disconnected from reality, if these were bike parts, i feel like i would look for the chris king / tune equivalent and be done with it, but something tells me real life is different...

note: my main concern is that some of these things give way too many false positives and i'm going to put a bunch of unsightly holes into the wall.

[zmudshark]

Old guy here.

Not everything has to be into a stud.

A cheep stud finder is fine

level is level, whether bubble or laser

Learn to spakle/patch plaster, whatever your situation is

drill before you paint

a cordless drill is really handy

[thegunner]

Old guy here.

Not everything has to be into a stud.

A cheep stud finder is fine

level is level, whether bubble or laser

Learn to spakle/patch plaster, whatever your situation is

drill before you paint

a cordless drill is really handy

curious why this is a thing?

[Tandem Rider]

Magnetic finders actually locate the nails and screws so they are accurate, but, they take longer to use. I usually just use my knuckle or the nails holding the base.

As far as a laser level, I see very little reason to own one unless you are setting a kitchen full of cabinets or putting in dropped ceilings. They are not more accurate than a spirit level, they just cost than a bubble, and are a little faster over a long span. Get a good spirit level for putting up shelves and such. Use the extra Benjamin's for bike parts.

[Tandem Rider]

Magnetic finders actually locate the nails and screws so they are accurate, but, they take longer to use. I usually just use my knuckle or the nails holding the base.

As far as a laser level, I see very little reason to own one unless you are setting a kitchen full of cabinets or putting in dropped ceilings. They are not more accurate than a spirit level, they just cost than a bubble, and are a little faster over a long span (like 15 or 20 feet). Get a good spirit level for putting up shelves and such. Use the extra Benjamin's for bike parts.

[mg2ride]

I have never had any luck with any stud finders. If you find one assume 16" on center for more. If there are any existing holes poke them with a smaller diameter nail to see if there is a stud there. Electrical receptacles and switches are generally nailed to studs so you can use them as guides.

Get a 3' or 4' bubble level and be done with it.

I have found that good quality putty knifes and scrapers have been some of the most useful tools I have ever owned. A decent pry bar is also a good thing to have around.

[sitzmark]

Electronic stud finder for $35 at Costco if you have membership. Think it was/is on sale for under $30 recently. Works VERY well identifying edges and center of stud.

[Likes2ridefar]

I have a digital one that has worked great.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0064EICKG?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

[Plum Hill]

Was in the building trades for 35 years.
Electronic stud finder worked fairly well. Don't mess with toy magnetic finder. Instead, just use a small "super magnet". It'll stick to a screw or nail better than the finder will locate it.
A new homeowner has no need for a 3' or 4' level. A 9" torpedo level should suffice.
First thing to make sure of us the construction of the wall. A NYC apartment may have brick or concrete block construction.

[rugbysecondrow]

Basic stud finder is fine, if you use one at all. I tap the wall normally.

Get a 3 foot bubble level, that will work for nearly everything you need. Laser is a hassle.

Wall anchors are pretty damn good, invest in those.

Measure twice, cut once.

Learn to mud...it comes in handy.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[carpediemracing]

Not a NYC veteran but I've spent a few nights in apartments there. I don't remember much sheet rock. Brick, plaster. I used to live in a plaster wall house. Tape the wall where you're going to drill so the plaster doesn't crack. Sort of like putting tape on an inflated balloon before sticking a pin in it.

At our house (sheetrock) I use a CH Hanson type (maybe it's one, I don't remember brand) magnetic stud finder. It's just a bit quicker than using a rare earth magnet on its own. Bonus - I leave the magnets stuck to the wall for storage.

I have 2? electronic ones as well (I worked in a hardware store for a number of years, bought a few). I go back to the magnetic one even when I have all three available.

[ultraman6970]

Some stud finders can scan for electrical cables too, I would advice to get one of those.

[cnighbor1]

I use a magnetic stud finder
than using a very thin finish nail or drill I pound or drill a hole where I think stud is If I hit wood I found it If not I move left or right and try again even when you find one you may be just on the edge of the stud so do again to left of right 1/2 '' to see if you find it again
Than once you found one they are c16'' on center so just measure 16'' and do above again if more location needed
than using a level hold vertical level on hole if you need to locate more in a vertical plane
fill holes with spackle and paint if you want but they are so small spackle wouldn't show
there are for light loads special fasteners
I use just a finish nail at a 45 degree angle pounded into the plaster for these
use two side by side in case one fails later on

[Black Dog]

Use one of these to hang anything relatively heavy. They hold 50-70lbs each. Very easy to install with a screwdriver. If you need to fasten to a stud then get an electronic stud finder. As for a level use a spirit level or your iPhone/smarthpone's built in level. My advice comes from being a carpenter/builder for over 20 years.

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/attachments/f15/50287-repairing-ripped-out-drywall-anchors-image-1808691100.jpg

[JAllen]

Don't need to look too far to find a stud...:cool:






...sorry for the lame joke.

[m_sasso]

Need to save those dollars to pay for your new home. If you have an iPhone or Android smart phone load a stud finder app and use it, no need to purchase a separate tool.

I use this one on my iPhone for metal studs and it works fine http://appcrawlr.com/ios/metal-detector-2?_src=discover_group

Here are a whole bunch of them or Google it http://appcrawlr.com/ios-apps/best-apps-stud-finder

You can also use the level on your iPhone or smart phone again no need for specialized tool that you are only going to use infrequently.

[zmudshark]

curious why this is a thing?Because if you mess up, you can patch and paint over it.

[thegunner]

lots of priceless advice here fellas :) i'll give the cheap (free) options a go first and see what happens.

Because if you mess up, you can patch and paint over it.

i don't know why... this wasn't obvious haha. thank goodness for white walls and my disdain for painting.

[1happygirl]

Second, I will defer to the dudes,er studs, on the Forum for the studs, but I swear by these :
http://www.amazon.com/Monkey-Hook/dp/B000BM4Q3Y

in drywall (I hope I got the term right for sheetrock?) they make a size hole no bigger than a small nail. Holds a lot and can find them anywhere, including Wal-Mart.
I hung a living room mirror with two of them.

Have fun.

[thegunner]

Second, I will defer to the dudes,er studs, on the Forum for the studs, but I swear by these :
http://www.amazon.com/Monkey-Hook/dp/B000BM4Q3Y

in drywall (I hope I got the term right for sheetrock?) they make a size hole no bigger than a small nail. Holds a lot and can find them anywhere, including Wal-Mart.
I hung a living room mirror with two of them.

Have fun.

my main concern isn't so much with art, but rather how big a TV i can reasonably buy and mount this year during black friday without the missus realizing what i've done...

[carpediemracing]

my main concern isn't so much with art, but rather how big a TV i can reasonably buy and mount this year during black friday without the missus realizing what i've done...

Hang a picture on the wall where you want the TV, the size of the TV.

Buy the TV. Set the screen to an image of the picture you had hanging there previously.

View TV stuff at your discretion.

[Plum Hill]

my main concern isn't so much with art, but rather how big a TV i can reasonably buy and mount this year during black friday without the missus realizing what i've done...

Buy the biggest one you can find but set it on the floor.
Then get the roaring fireplace DVD and play it.
The missus will never know....

[thegunner]

Hang a picture on the wall where you want the TV, the size of the TV.

Buy the TV. Set the screen to an image of the picture you had hanging there previously.

View TV stuff at your discretion.

Buy the biggest one you can find but set it on the floor.
Then get the roaring fireplace DVD and play it.
The missus will never know....

i can see my ability to hide new bikes is amateur-level compared to this forums' collective wisdom.