Zircon MT-6 vs. a Magnet in a Bag
PIerre1 asked for a report on the Zircon MT-6 expensive fancy metal detector. I’ve had a chance to give it a good try, and it certainly works better than any stud finder I’ve seen on old lath and plaster walls. It can detect quite accurately the little 2d or 3d nails that hold the lath to the studs, which tells you where the studs are. It also finds electrical black pipe and copper water lines.
I’ve also tried it for finding broken nails embedded in old lumber before re-milling it. Mark over at Knots suggested powerful rare-earth magnets for that, so I tried the 1″ cube magnet from:
http://www.rare-earth-magnets.com/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=21&KeyWords=Cube&All=True
To keep the magnet from getting dirty with impossible to remove tiny fragments of steel, I put it in a heavy plastic bag. I found that I can find studs by dangling the magnet in the bag against the wall and moving it horizontally until it tugs at the tiny nails. When it finds black pipe, it pulls strongly enough to stick itself to the wall.
Bottom line, the MT-6 and the 1″ cube magnet in a plastic bag are pretty much a wash for sensitivity and accuracy in finding studs and black pipe. The MT-6 will also find copper and brass, but for ten times the price.
— J.S.