How To Find A Wall Stud Without A Finder. The easiest way to locate them is to use an electronic or magnetic stud if you don't own an anchor or stud finder (or the desire to ante up the cash for one), here's how to locate sly wall studs without spending a penny. How to find a stud without a stud finder.
They let you find studs without having to measure.
One reason is that stud finders often return false positive readings. These are all usually attached to a stud, so if you find one stud that way, you can measure off 16 or 24 inches (40.6 or 61 centimeters) in either direction to find the next stud, since that's the standard spacing for studs. Electrical boxes are typically attached to studs, so start by locating. With this method, you will be able to find a stud and judge how far it is from the hole you've made to establish the correct location.