Metal Stud

This kit includes a small magnet to help you find a metal stud where you wish to install the anchor. It is very important that you use this to verify the location of the stud, which is normally 1-5/8” wide. You want to drill the holes through the metal stud close to the middle of its width! (Afterwards the magnet can be put on the fridge!)

What you are looking for are the screw heads that fasten the drywall/lath to the stud, as they are closer to the surface, thus more attracted by the magnet. (You want to find several of these to establish the metal studs center portion. In addition to the magnet, I have included a small roll of a special tape that will not damage your finished surface, but can be used to mark screw heads found by the magnet.)

When you have located the stud correctly, place the base part of the security device on the wall with the holes in the center part of the stud and mark through the holes in the base part with a pencil.

Drill a small hole (1/8” suggested)  through the drywall or plaster and the metal stud face at the marked points. (You will know when you are through because there is no more resistance to your drilling action.) You don’t want a drilled hole to be on a screw head from the fasteners used for the drywall or plaster lath so use the blue tape as your spotter.

Now, drill a second hole the size called for with your expansion anchors (typically 7/16” diameter) through each of the 1/8” holes.

Insert a hollow wall anchor through the hole and tighten it (using a hand screwdriver and keeping the “outer portion” from turning as you tighten the bolt). When the hollow wall anchor has “mushroomed out” behind the stud face and the bolt portions doesn’t turn easily,  fully unscrew the bolt, and repeat  procedure for the other hollow wall anchor.

Now you can install the base plate by reinserting the 2 bolts through it until firmly bolted to your wall.

The security device has a second part made from heavy steel just like the piece bolted through the metal stud, and it covers the bolts so they are inaccessible.

As soon as you slip a cable through the small hole, the part that covers the bolts cannot be removed without removing the cable.