where to get a drywall 'nail locator'?

[Robert Macy]

All I need is a simple nail finder/locator for finding the nails in
the drywall. I KNOW where the studs are, but need to find screws/nails
behind the taping plaster.

I remember years ago using a magnet mounted in a 'gimbal' structure
that pointed to a nail. Unsuccessfully tried to make one. the one I
made keeps missing the fasteners! If it 'sees' one, it is there, but
even though I know there should be a nail somewhere within inches,
can't find it. Usually misses screws, finds nails.

Closest walkin so far has been Home Depot Zircon whizbang for $49.
TOO MUCH!! I don't want to find studs, just the nails

Next best has been Harbor Freight, Cen-Tec unit 5 in 1 for $8.99
Sounds great, I once ordered a Cen-Tech Sound Level Meter $14.99
before from them, very satisfied customer, replaced our $100+ unit.
But this latest requirement just rankles me to pay 8.99 +6.99 shipping
total of 15.98 for a simple little widget.

You guys ALWAYS know where to get stuff at great prices. Any help?

Anybody got one to send me, or provide a URL to get something?

[mike]

The Harbor Freight 92375 is a good one.

When I had the floor insulated, the contractor kept poking himself
on the nails sticking thru the floor. He solved the problem by
pounding a bunch of them back up. I used the HF unit to find the nails
thru the carpet and bang them back down before they tore thru the rug.

[Vic Smith]

I've have a couple electronic stud finders.
Not sure how they work, except they don't much work at all.
Think I read here about using "super magnets" like what's found in
hard drives, when I was putting up new trim.
So I told my son to get a magnet from an old hard drive I had laying
around.
Best thing I ever used for finding studs.
It'll stick on the wall right over the nail.
I put a piece a masking tape on it to keep it from falling out of my
fingers.
Just move it lightly on the wall in moving circles and it'll stick
when it goes over a nail.
Couldn't be easier.
Somebody posted a store-bought nail finder using these types of
magnets, but I don't have the link.
I'd buy one of those if I didn't have hard drive magnets handy.

--Vic

[Vic Smith]

Think this is what somebody posted about before.
http://tinyurl.com/6re6clq

But if you have an old hard drive to get a magnet from, save your
money.
When the magnet sticks just mark it or put a small piece of tape
there.

--Vic

[Oren]

On Thu, 8 Dec 2011 16:06:21 -0800 (PST), Robert Macy
<robert...@gmail.com> wrote:

> I don't want to find studs, just the nails

Use a rare earth magnet.

[Oren]

Make the tool, Bore the wood handle and use rare earth magnets. They
click and stick on the nail / screw head.

[cl...@snyder.on.ca]

Another thing that works is a small metal detector like the
electro-metalalloscop 850.

[Bob F]

Have an old harddrive laying around. Take it apart, remove the magnet, and you
have a perfect locator.

The magnet will actually stick to the nails in the drywall.

[HeyBub]

You can get more nails, pretty cheaply, at the box stores...

[Tegger]

Vic Smith <thismaila...@comcast.net> wrote in
news:bnk2e7pk3po4m2jvf...@4ax.com:

> So I told my son to get a magnet from an old hard drive I had laying
> around.
> Best thing I ever used for finding studs.
> It'll stick on the wall right over the nail.

I happen to have two old hard-drive magnets handy, so I just tried this.

And IT ACTUALLY WORKS! Provided I use the half of the magnet assembly which
is flat, the magnet does indeed stick to the wall right over the screw.

(The other half of the magnet assembly has a few tangs rising up from the
backing plate, creating an air space between wall and magnet which greatly
reduces the attraction of the magnet to the screw.)

However, it is a bit time-consuming finding studs this way, since with the
magnet you're locating a point (the screw), whereas with a proper stud-
finder you're looking for a line (the wood).




--
Tegger

[Tegger]

"Bob F" <bobn...@gmail.com> wrote in news:jbrpnr$c65$1...@dont-email.me:

>
>
> Have an old harddrive laying around. Take it apart, remove the magnet,
> and you have a perfect locator.
>
> The magnet will actually stick to the nails in the drywall.
>

It sure does!

If you don't have any old hard-drives available, you can call around to the
little hole-in-the-wall computer-repair places. They often have old hard
drives left over from upgrades. If the drive is old and small enough, they
might give it to you for free, or for really cheap.

Sometimes people leave old computers at the curb, hoping somebody will take
them away. Usually they're stripped of the hard-drives, but next time you
see one, have a peek inside; you might get lucky.

I just counted mine: I have at least 20 old hard-drives lying around, not
counting the really ancient ones with stepper motors and hand-written test
stickers on them...


--
Tegger

[Kuskokwim]

On Thu, 8 Dec 2011 16:06:21 -0800 (PST), Robert Macy wrote:

> I remember years ago using a magnet mounted in a 'gimbal' structure
> that pointed to a nail.

http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1289967&kw=stud+finder&origkw=stud+finder&searchId=53934538544
or
http://tinyurl.com/cvjce3l

True Value also has them.

[denni...@gmail.com]

On Dec 8, 7:06 pm, Robert Macy <robert.a.m...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I remember years ago using a magnet mounted in a 'gimbal' structure
> that pointed to a nail. Unsuccessfully tried to make one.  the one I
> made keeps missing the fasteners! If it 'sees' one, it is there, but
> even though I know there should be a nail somewhere within inches,
> can't find it.  Usually misses screws, finds nails.

You need something more than a cheap refrigerator magnet. Get RARE
EARTH magnets, which you can find at Radio Shack. They're much
stronger and more sensitive to the small bits of metal you're trying
to find.

Why are you trying to find the nails? You can't remove them without
destroying the drywall, so if your intent is to remove them why not
just rip down the drywall and put up new?

[Robert Macy]

On Dec 8, 6:38 pm, cl...@snyder.on.ca wrote:

> On Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:41:33 -0800, Oren <O...@127.0.0.1> wrote:
> >On Thu, 8 Dec 2011 16:06:21 -0800 (PST), Robert Macy
> ><robert.a.m...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >> I don't want to find studs, just the nails
>
> >Use a rare earth magnet.
>
>  Another thing that works is a small metal detector like the
> electro-metalalloscop 850.

Thanks, I did envision a 1/4 inch diameter coil, electronics powered
by LR42, and piezo speaker squeeling as the coil goes over ferro
material. I can design, just don't want to.

Search for electro-metalalloscop 850 turned up this group

Search for electro-metalloscop 850 turned up all non-English sites

Is product sold in US? How much?

[Robert Macy]

LOL! I'm cheap, not that cheap.! ...But I confess to saving the
screws.

[Robert Macy]

On Dec 9, 6:48 am, Tegger <inva...@example.com> wrote:
> Vic Smith <thismailautodele...@comcast.net> wrote innews:bnk2e7pk3po4m2jvf...@4ax.com:

Again, I can SEE the studs, just can't find the nails/screws buried
beneath tape/plaster jobs. Yesterday, I KNEW there were two each
somewhere within one inch diameter and COULD NOT FIND THEM!!

[Robert Macy]

Not using 'refrigerator magnet, using the plastic shrouded Security
magnet from doorway switch. Strong, but not good enough. It is not
finding screws 3/16 inch below plaster/tape job! Nails, yes, screws,
no.

[Robert Macy]

Thanks for the positive feedback on that unit. It is by Cen-Tech

My previous experience with Harbor Freight was a Cen-Tech Sound Level
Meter which was great experience. No hesitation to go back to HF,
except...the unit is $8.99 and shipping is $6.99. Just hate to pay
for the unit twice.

[tra...@optonline.net]

Finally someone asked the question I had. I've always
been interested in finding STUDS. Why the need to find
nails when you know where the studs are?

[denni...@gmail.com]

On Dec 9, 1:00 pm, "trad...@optonline.net" <trad...@optonline.net>
wrote:

> Finally someone asked the question I had.  I've always
> been interested in finding STUDS.  Why the need to find
> nails when you know where the studs are?

The world will never know the answer... OP completely ignored my
question.

At least he didn't come back with some overcomplicated, overpriced,
half-assed, hair-brained way to deal with a simple issue, and eleventy-
dozen excuses why the simple, straightforward, accepted way to go
about it.

[DerbyDad03]

On Dec 9, 8:48 am, Tegger <inva...@example.com> wrote:
> Vic Smith <thismailautodele...@comcast.net> wrote innews:bnk2e7pk3po4m2jvf...@4ax.com:

You don't have to search the entire wall for those "points".

Find one nail/screw in a corner and measure 16" from there. Now all
you have to do is find pints along vertical lines.

[Robert Macy]

On Dec 9, 11:00 am, "trad...@optonline.net" <trad...@optonline.net>
wrote:

to remove fasteners, remove drywall

[Vic Smith]

Yep. And most people can "measure'" 16" close enough without a tape.
I find it much faster to use the magnet than an electronic stud
finder, which has to be moved slowly.
Besides that the electronics can give false readings in some places.
Don't know why, but happens mostly near corners or doors, maybe
because of headers or doubled studs.
Also noticed they can pick up a stud at one point in the wall but
then it's tricky to pick it up higher or lower.
Might be different mass or something, might be the electronic stud
finders I've used are crap.
I always drilled with an 1/8 bit to confirm when using them.
Anyway, when the drywall was nailed or screwed up the installer put
them in the studs, so there's no question with those nails, and I
don't drill.



The trick is to use a piece of masking tape on the back of the thin
magnet so it doesn't pop out of your fingers every time it hits a
bump.
Grasp the masking tape and use a finger to lightly press the magnet
against the wall
Then you can move it very fast in a 6" circle across the wall.
If it doesn't dead stop over a nail it'll pull enough to take you
right to it.
When I did baseboard and crown molding I stuck a little piece of
masking tape over the 2 low and high nails, and the ceiling joist
nails closest to the wall.
Eyeballed the centerline of the 2 pieces of tape to nail.
In close to 200' of nailing not a single nail missed the stud/joist.

--Vic

[Vic Smith]

Why? Are you re-using it?
If not, just use a knife, then a flatbar to pop it off, then take out
the nails/screws.
If you want to re-use it though, I guess you could go after the
screws. Wouldn't work with nails. Too much gouging.
Use a super magnet to locate the screws.

--Vic

[Steve B]

Buy a stack of fifty or so super magnets. The best thing going for locating
drywall nails or screws, and will give you a superior image of the studs
location. (Use one at a time, not the whole stack, Elmo.) Even those that
are doubled, or in positions that you would not expect them to be in.
Cheap, easy, and they work very well.

Steve

[Robert Macy]

The key so far has been 'super' magnets. Seems reasonable.

I have a magnet from an eddy current breaking system that is so strong
that if you hold your hand out palm side up holding a Canadian dime
with the magnet under the back of your hand (out of sight) the magnet
is strong enough to pop the Canadian dime up onto its edge in the palm
of your hand. Very spooky to do this, just seems weird the field being
that strong. Even waving non-magnetic material by the magnet, like
1/4 inch slab of aluminum generates sufficiently stron eddy current
fields that the AL block is 'attracted' to the magnet! Go slow,
nothing. Go fast and it rips the block out of your hand.

[Steve B]

> Finally someone asked the question I had. I've always
> been interested in finding STUDS. Why the need to find
> nails when you know where the studs are?

Un, because we want to nail into and support stuff on studs, and not into
the nails, and the nails tell us where the studs are?

What do I win?

You can get all sorts of readings from beeping devices that are not a good
thing to shoot a 3" drywall screw into. Pipes, conduit, live wires, lots of
fun stuff.

I have puzzled for a very long time, reading two or three very good stud
finders, and finding studs and all types of unidentifiable things behind the
drywall, not being sure of exactly where the STUDS are. Yet, with a row of
magnets along a line, I can get a mental picture that is 95% accurate as to
where the studs are. Because they ONLY REACT TO STEEL NAILS OR SCREWS.

You continue to use whatever works for you. For me, a bunch of little super
magnets will find the studs for me by showing where the nails or screws are.
It is SOOOOOOOO sweet when you drill into something unknown to anchor, and
hit solid wood.

Whatever winds yer clock.

Steve

[Steve B]

"Robert Macy" <robert...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:897eaa65-23eb-492f...@32g2000yqp.googlegroups.com...

reply: A 100 % sure way to locate studs, just a little ineffective. And
labor intensive.

Steve

[tra...@optonline.net]

On Dec 9, 11:53 pm, "Steve B" <ste...@gmail.com> wrote:
> "Robert Macy" <robert.a.m...@gmail.com> wrote in message

> Steve- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Excuse me, but apparently you didn't pose the original
question, so how would you know the answer to
why he's doing it? It's not to locate studs, because he
clearly said in the post that he "already knows where the
studs are". That's why some of us asked the question.

He replied above that he wants to locate them to remove
the drywall. Which is a new one to me, as removing the
drywall seems like a losing proposition to me. If you don't
plan on trying to re-use it, then you just rip it off. If you
try to re-use it, first it's going to take a long time to screw
around locating the screws, then unscrewing it, removing
it, etc. And then the taped joints are probably going to
come apart a big mess, with the paper tearing, etc. And
they will still be covered with the old mud, uneven, etc and
will not be a clean new joint to tape and cover. All in all,
given the cost of drywall, the time involved, and how new
drywall will be easy to mud up and deal with, it sure
doesn't seem like a good idea to me.

[Curt]

"Kuskokwim" <nos...@ak.net> wrote in message
news:16k90thasz63$.x3iqjqqmfu6h$.dlg@40tude.net...

I remember having one of those myself. Sears sells them too.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00949033000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1






.

[Bob F]

Tegger wrote:
> Vic Smith <thismaila...@comcast.net> wrote in
> news:bnk2e7pk3po4m2jvf...@4ax.com:
>
>
>> So I told my son to get a magnet from an old hard drive I had laying
>> around.
>> Best thing I ever used for finding studs.
>> It'll stick on the wall right over the nail.
>
>
>
> I happen to have two old hard-drive magnets handy, so I just tried
> this.
>
> And IT ACTUALLY WORKS! Provided I use the half of the magnet assembly
> which is flat, the magnet does indeed stick to the wall right over
> the screw.
>
> (The other half of the magnet assembly has a few tangs rising up from
> the backing plate, creating an air space between wall and magnet
> which greatly reduces the attraction of the magnet to the screw.)

In my experience, you can carefully knock the magnet off the assembly. Be
careful. the magnets are brittle, and can break.

>
> However, it is a bit time-consuming finding studs this way, since
> with the magnet you're locating a point (the screw), whereas with a
> proper stud- finder you're looking for a line (the wood).

But, they are dependably accurate, which I haven't found with "stud finders". I
have a couple of those which I now never use.



.

[Tegger]

Robert Macy <robert...@gmail.com> wrote in

news:8b8b2381-7133-4477...@z1g2000vbx.googlegroups.com:

> Again, I can SEE the studs, just can't find the nails/screws buried
> beneath tape/plaster jobs. Yesterday, I KNEW there were two each
> somewhere within one inch diameter and COULD NOT FIND THEM!!

That's the point of the neodymium magnet. It will find those nails/screws
even under the tape and mud! Read my entire reply, not just the last
sentence.

If you know where the stud is, just put the neodymium magnet on the wall in
that location and slide it gently up or down. The magnet is so powerful
that when it gets close to a screw, it will suddenly stop on top of it, and
usually sticks in that spot. If you have two screws within an inch of each
other, you should be able to locate them easily using the neodymium magnet.

--
Tegger

[Tegger]

"Bob F" <bobn...@gmail.com> wrote in news:jbtji0$er3$1...@dont-email.me:

> Tegger wrote:

>> However, it is a bit time-consuming finding studs this way, since
>> with the magnet you're locating a point (the screw), whereas with a
>> proper stud- finder you're looking for a line (the wood).
>
> But, they are dependably accurate, which I haven't found with "stud
> finders". I have a couple of those which I now never use.
>

I have found stud-finders to be remarkably accurate. For instance, my wife
put one on my chest, and said, "Yup, it found a stud!". So they /do/ work.


--
Tegger

[Robert Macy]

On Dec 11, 7:04 am, Tegger <inva...@example.com> wrote:

So, I'm doing a GOOD idea carried out BADLY. Just need a strong
magnet, not the 'toy' I've been using. I just thought the rod magnet
in a security door latch which has to keep a relay closed, would be
strong enough, but guess not, or maybe this is a reject magnet.

[Tegger]

Robert Macy <robert...@gmail.com> wrote in

news:509c285b-14b9-4fe5...@d17g2000yql.googlegroups.com:

>
> So, I'm doing a GOOD idea carried out BADLY. Just need a strong
> magnet, not the 'toy' I've been using.

Right. You need a neodymium ("rare earth") magnet.

Hard-drive magnets are neodymium. You may be able to find such magnets at a
hardware store, I don't know.

> I just thought the rod magnet
> in a security door latch which has to keep a relay closed, would be
> strong enough, but guess not, or maybe this is a reject magnet.

That's probably just a regular ferric magnet. You need the other kind.



--
Tegger

[JIMMIE]

On Dec 11, 11:47 am, Tegger <inva...@example.com> wrote:

Try a compass, I just did and the need swung around to the nail.

Jimmie

[Steven L.]

"Kuskokwim" <nos...@ak.net> wrote in message

news:16k90thasz63$.x3iqjqqmfu6h$.d...@40tude.net:

Amazon.com has the same thing for a little cheaper.




-- Steven L.

[cl...@snyder.on.ca]

I bought mine at a woodworking show 10 or more years ago. I think it
cost less than $50 at the time. Used by woodworkers and saw operators
to locate embedded metal in lumber.

[tra...@optonline.net]

On Dec 9, 11:45 pm, "Steve B" <ste...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > Finally someone asked the question I had. I've always
> > been interested in finding STUDS. Why the need to find
> > nails when you know where the studs are?
>
> Un, because we want to nail into and support stuff on studs, and not into
> the nails, and the nails tell us where the studs are?
>
> What do I win?
>
> You can get all sorts of readings from beeping devices that are not a good
> thing to shoot a 3" drywall screw into.  Pipes, conduit, live wires, lots of
> fun stuff.

He said he's specifically looking for drywall nails. I've hung lots
of pics,
shelves, brackets, made openings, etc and never went looking for
nails.
I've looked for studs and I've had zero problems as a result. Imagine
all the hour saved over decades by not looking for those nails.

Also, a magnet for finding nails isn't going to find
the most common wiring, ie Romex. Seems not many folks are
interested in the nails, because the stud finders I've seen find
exactly that, studs, via ultrasonic, not nails.

BTW, he finally told us his purpose in finding the nails was to
remove the drywall, which seems a wasted effort.
It's cheap enough to buy, not worth the time to try to remove
and salvage it, and even if you do, instead of nice clean new
joints to mud, you're gonna have screwed up ones where it
was previously taped and mudded.

>
> I have puzzled for a very long time, reading two or three very good stud
> finders, and finding studs and all types of unidentifiable things behind the
> drywall, not being sure of exactly where the STUDS are.  Yet, with a row of
> magnets along a line, I can get a mental picture that is 95% accurate as to
> where the studs are.  Because they ONLY REACT TO STEEL NAILS OR SCREWS.
>
> You continue to use whatever works for you.  For me, a bunch of little super
> magnets will find the studs for me by showing where the nails or screws are.
> It is SOOOOOOOO sweet when you drill into something unknown to anchor, and
> hit solid wood.
>
> Whatever winds yer clock.
>
> Steve

He clearly said in the first post that he already knows where the
studs are.

[Robert Macy]

On Dec 16, 6:21 am, "trad...@optonline.net" <trad...@optonline.net>
wrote:

True, I said remove the drywall, I did NOT say salvage, or re-use, you
added that.

But is ok, because those that know me would have assumed that. :)

[tra...@optonline.net]

> But is ok, because those that know me would have assumed that. :)- Hide quoted text -

>
> - Show quoted text -

If you're not trying to salvage the drywall, why do you need to
locate the nails to remove it? You just punch a hole in it between
studs
and rip it off. After the drywall is off, you easily pull the nails
with a hammer. I could have it off in a fraction of the time it's
gonna
take to just locate the nails.

[cl...@snyder.on.ca]

Makes a LOT more mess though.
If you remove drywall screws (nails are a bit more trouble) and remove
full sheets of trywall there is not much mess involved, compared to
the "mike holmes" method of smashing a fist through the drywall and
pulling it down in chunks.

[k...@att.bizzzzzzzzzzzz]

I'm with you. It's even true for partial sheets, if you vacuum the dust up as
the drywall is cut. Cleaning up a "Holmes" mess is often more work than the
rest of the job. I suppose bashing sheetrock with a sledge makes better TV,
though.

[Robert Macy]

On Dec 17, 10:34 am, cl...@snyder.on.ca wrote:
> On Sat, 17 Dec 2011 05:43:10 -0800 (PST), "trad...@optonline.net"

You got it! Less mess. And I've not found anything more 'fun' to try
and get rid of than drywall dust buried in carpet.

[Steve B]

>>> > He said he's specifically looking for drywall nails. I've hung lots
>>> > of pics,
>>> > shelves, brackets, made openings, etc and never went looking for
>>> > nails.
>>> > I've looked for studs and I've had zero problems as a result.

If you have never ever hit a drywall screw or nail with another, you have
not done very much work. I use the little magnets, and when I find the
nails, I take a stud finder and find the border of the studs. Many times I
have to move my new nail/screw 1/4" so I don't hit the one that is already
there that I would have hit had I not identified it specifically with a
magnet. That may be the EXACT spot where I want to hang the picture hanger
nail or put the screw so the item is centered. Hang on. Once you've done
more work, this situation will come up.

Steve

[Steve B]

> Makes a LOT more mess though.
> If you remove drywall screws (nails are a bit more trouble) and remove
> full sheets of trywall there is not much mess involved, compared to
> the "mike holmes" method of smashing a fist through the drywall and
> pulling it down in chunks.

You got it! Less mess. And I've not found anything more 'fun' to try
and get rid of than drywall dust buried in carpet.

Of course, if you're a real contractor, you will want to get the job done in
less than three months. Unless it's T&M, then you can take the time to find
every screw and nail.

[k...@att.bizzzzzzzzzzzz]

Umm, this _is_ alt.HOME.REPAIR, not alt.contractor.cuts.corners.

[tra...@optonline.net]

I didn't say I never hit a nail. What I said was I never
had a problem. I don't consider your example of hitting
an existing drywall nail or screw with a picture hanging
nail a problem. Hit it, nail won't go in, move it over 1/2"
or so, drive it in, hang picture. You think the typical
grandma hanging a pic of the grandkids is going to
go searching for drywall nails?

Besides, his stated purpose for searching for the nails
is to remove the drywall, a practice I have never seen.