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Tips & Techniques

The Hooter Stick

By Charles Miller Issue 32
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Plumbing and aligning stud walls can be quite a chore, sometimes involving the better part of a five or six-man crew. On a recent job, I became acquainted with the tool shown in the drawing. Here in Austin, Texas, it’s called a hooter stick, and I haven’t found anything that’s better suited for adjusting long, tall or just plain awkward walls.

Basically it is nothing more than two studs, a 2×4 block 20 in. to 30 in. long and an old hinge. To assemble the stick, first cut a 45° V-notch in the end of one stud and scab the block flush to the bottom end of the other stud. Then fasten the two parts with the hinge.

To use the hooter stick, place the notched end against the underside of the top plate, near a corner or an intersection with another wall. To brace the bottom of the stick you can use either your foot or a block that is tacked to the subfloor. Now you’re ready to push in the direction that you want the wall to move. The hooter is an awkward piece of equipment to manipulate at first, but once you get used to it you’ll be surprised at what you can do to an outside wall full of offsets and headers.

—Paul Wilson, Austin, TX

Edited and illustrated by Charles Miller

From Fine Homebuilding #32

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  1. nailbender123 | Mar 10, 2017 08:51pm | #1

    Plumbing and lining a wall can be done wit 2 or even 1 person with an ordinary spring brace. This device is imho a waste of time. You say "push in the direction that you want the wall to move." You can only push in one direction unless you go on the outside of the building. not feasable on the second or third floor. A spring brace allows you to push or pull on a wall.

  2. TTTTT | Mar 10, 2017 09:26pm | #2

    Nailbender123,
    So, what's a spring brace?
    How about a drawing or link to a picture on a web site?

  3. marleyjune | Mar 10, 2017 09:45pm | #3

    When is FH going to join the 21st Century and dispense with the hideous, amateurish, junior-high art class sketches that it uses to illustrate these dated Rube Goldberg tips?

  4. nailbender123 | Mar 11, 2017 12:25am | #4

    https://tommoorebuilder.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/dscn0192a.jpg

  5. SamHF | Mar 13, 2017 12:39am | #5

    Or have a look at this Fine Homebuilding video.
    https://www.finehomebuilding.com/2010/10/15/framing-tips-how-to-straighten-a-wall-2

  6. nailbender123 | Mar 13, 2017 04:14pm | #6

    Notice how he's doing this by himself as I said in an earlier post can be done. Why the writer of this article thinks ."Plumbing and aligning stud walls can be quite a chore, sometimes involving the better part of a five or six-man crew." is beyond me. That guy uses a rigging ax like I do.

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