On 8/7/15 4:23 PM, Muggles wrote:

I'm trying to find where the studs are on a wall in my bathroom so I can
hand a shelf and at least have some screws go into a couple of studs,
but my stud finder is weird. I can go over the same spot multiple times
and sometimes the stud finder light goes on as if there's a stud there,
and then I'll go over the same spot again to confirm and it doesn't
light up.

Is there a way to confirm a stud is there before actually drilling a
hole since the stud finder is being weird? I don't know if I'm holding
it right or not, or does it matter?

I have a cheap little stud finder that's a metal detector. It lights up
and beeps when it gets near metal. It works great when it works, but
it's temperamental to adjust.

In the 1980s, I got an Archer stud finder that apparently works on
inaudible sound. Like you, I found it frustrating.

Today I got it from the shelf and put in a new battery. It was erratic.
I could scan 5 feet without finding a stud. There's a molded arrow on
the top. The tip of the arrow is at the end, so I was holding the end
against the wall.

Noticing felt on the bottom, I decided to hold the flat bottom against
the wall. Bingo! About 75 years ago, drywall was put over the original
wall. This would be a challenge for a stud finder, but it clearly
identified them all.

On the back, the instructions say to hold it flat against the wall. I've
always ignored instructions. I assume they're written for smart people
and would only confuse me.