ill take door #3 monty with #1 being my second choice

"Toller" wrote in message
...
I used the wrong word; I meant top plate, not header.

I have posted a picture of the problem at
http://www.frontiernet.net/~toller/ceiling.jpg

I am moving a wall 8' into another room. I taken down two 4' rowes of
ceiling tiles. Trying to adjust the existing ceiling would be a truly
major
project; so I want to build the wall to accomodate the ceiling.

The joist shown in the picture is about half over the ceiling grid, so it
is
too far to let me attach a 2x4 top plate to it, but not far enough to let
me
nail the studs to the side.

I can:
1) Use a 2x6 top plate, which will reach the joist, but still give me 3.5"
for the studs.
2) Cut an inch off the top of the studs so they can attach to the sides of
the joist, but still hit the ceiling grid. (a 2x3 wouldn't help, as it
would
still be 1" from the ceiling grid)
3) Bridge adjacent joists with 2x4s, and attach the top plate to them.

I appreciate your patience