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Using Steel Studs (page 3 of 4)

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Step by Step Photos and Instructions 1 - 3

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1. Cut both side flanges of a steel stud, using straight-cut aviation snips. Then bend one flange up—clear of the snips’ jaws—and cut across the stud’s web. For easier electrical and plumbing installations later on, keep all the keyhole knockouts aligned by cutting all studs to length from the same end. Protect your hands with heavy-duty gloves.

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2. Fasten steel tracks to concrete using 1-1/4 in. hex-head concrete screws. Lay out the position of the track, strike chalk lines, and drill a hole through the metal and into the concrete the full length of the screw. Use a hammer drill fitted with a carbide-tipped masonry bit. Set screws first at each end of the track and then every 3 ft. along the track. Overlap track corners by notching the first track’s flange so the overlapping track can slide into place. On long, straight runs, overlap adjoining tracks 6 in. and secure the overlap to the floor with a concrete screw.

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3. Join studs to tracks by clamping the two members tightly with a C-clamp locking pliers and driving a 1/2-in. No. 8 pan-head screw in the middle where they meet. Drive the screws at medium speed. Choose a clutch setting strong enough to drive the screw home but not so strong that it strips the screw hole and weakens the joint.

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