Howdy all my Sunline buds. I have a question: Will a stud finder be reliable to detect an aluminium stud? I need to drill a hole through the side of my trailer to accept an electrical port and I don't want to meet a piece of metal along the way.
Thanks,
Teach
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__________________ Wright Ellis and Penny Sedgley
'10 Tundra 4X4
SOB -'14 Rockwood 2604WS (Rocky)
"Life is a cruel teacher. She gives the test first; the lesson then follows."
I have steel studs in my basement. My Zircon stud finder picks them up. I believe they work on the change in mass.
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Jim and DW Darlene
2001 T-2553 Sunline Solaris
2006 GMC Sierra Duramax 2500HD 4X4
Firestone Transforce AT tires
Reese Dual Cam Sway Control
I thought they did. I was just wondering if a hollow aluminum channel would be enough of a mass change.
__________________ Wright Ellis and Penny Sedgley
'10 Tundra 4X4
SOB -'14 Rockwood 2604WS (Rocky)
"Life is a cruel teacher. She gives the test first; the lesson then follows."
If you look at a steel stud there isn't much there yet my stud finder found them through 1/2" plaster board
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Jim and DW Darlene
2001 T-2553 Sunline Solaris
2006 GMC Sierra Duramax 2500HD 4X4
Firestone Transforce AT tires
Reese Dual Cam Sway Control
There is a lot of variation in how well stud finders function. I think Zircon is one of the better ones. I have an older Zircon that isn't as sensitive as my newer Zircon Z-50 and the new one finds things and the edges of things on "deepscan" better than the old one. Thin aluminium is a challenge but I think if you are searching through a thin wall it should work well for you.
One hint, sometimes when you start a search the studfinder may already be over or near a stud. The startup calibration may think that is the normal wall and never find a stud. If that happens just start several inches away and start again. You don't have to ask how I figured that one out.
OK, I just had to find out for myself so I did a little test. I had a 1 inch thick piece of styrofoam and a piece of aluminum channel that you use for suspended ceiling tiles. My Zircon Z50 found the aluminum behind the styrofoam and lit up on the exact edge of it on "normal" scan. Deepscan was too sensitive and and lit up almost 2 inches away.
Great! Thanks Jim and Gene for your "real world" advice.
Teach
__________________ Wright Ellis and Penny Sedgley
'10 Tundra 4X4
SOB -'14 Rockwood 2604WS (Rocky)
"Life is a cruel teacher. She gives the test first; the lesson then follows."
__________________ Wright Ellis and Penny Sedgley
'10 Tundra 4X4
SOB -'14 Rockwood 2604WS (Rocky)
"Life is a cruel teacher. She gives the test first; the lesson then follows."
The question raised my curiosity so I thought some empirical engineering would be this morning's project.
Raised mine too. That's why I tried mine on steel studs through plaster board
__________________
Jim and DW Darlene
2001 T-2553 Sunline Solaris
2006 GMC Sierra Duramax 2500HD 4X4
Firestone Transforce AT tires
Reese Dual Cam Sway Control
Now all I need to do is get retired and go play with my stud finder....
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Current Sunlines: 2004 T310SR, 2004 T1950, 2004 T2475, 2007 T2499, 2004 T317SR
Prior Sunlines: 2004 T2499 - Fern Blue
2005 Ford F350 Lariat, 6.8L V10 W/ 4.10 rear axle, CC, Short Bed, SRW. Reese HP trunnion bar hitch W/ HP DC Google Custom Search For Sunline Owners Club
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TT:1983 Sunline T-1550
TT:1996 Sunline T-2053
TV:2005 Toyota Tundra Double Cab 2UZ-FE i-Force 4.7 L DOHC (MFI) V8 4WD SR5 Automatic
P3 break control
"I know a lot about nothing and nothing about a lot"
Wright Ellis and Penny Sedgley
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