Hanging Trophies

[mb5518]

I just picked up my mounts at BWI and boy am I impressed!

I have located spots on the wall for all my trophies but the problem is they do not all line up with studs. I am particularly concerned with the kudu should mount as it has a lot of weight to it. Does anyone have any advice on how to hang these trophies on sheet rock walls in absence of a stud? Recommendations for anchors and or hanging mechanisms?

Thanks,
MB

 

[buckshot85]

Unless you reconstruct that wall do not hang it without going into a stud. All that money and time to harvest that beauty, it’s worth the trouble to hang it solidly.

 

[Red Leg]

Antlered and medium to small antelope European mounts can safely use some of the heavier weight drywall hangers. I would not attempt using them on a shoulder mount. Such a mount not only generates vertical hanging weight but also foot pounds of pulling force as it tries to pivot forward off the wall.

 

[wesheltonj]

I had that problem with my Kudu too. What I did was find two studs and screwed in some hooks. I bought a wood shield, and mounted hanging hardware on the shield, one for each hook. Next, I screwed into the wood shield a mounting screw. From a distance it looks like the Kudu is mounted to the shield, but close up you can see the shield is mounted to the wall and the Kudu to the shield. When I build my next house, the shield will be gone.

 

[Tim Blackwell]

Unfortunately for your larger trophies, finding a stud is the only option. Hence why dedicated trophy rooms use ply backing.
After losing a fallow deer from a drywall anchor, I'll never trust them again.

 

[mb5518]

10-4. What if I can find a stud (behind the mount, but off center) and attached a mending plate to the stud on one end and attached mending plate on the other end with a drywall anchor. This way I will have some the weight being carried by a stud. When attaching the mount, I could try and get two points of contact (vs one, think of hanging a picture frame) to distribute the load.

 

[JimP]

The only anchor that I would even come close to trusting with a mount on just drywall would be a 1/4" toggle bolt. They are designed to hold a heavy weight and if installed properly they should work.

But it would be best to find a stud and even then your mounting hardware needs to be up to the weight capacity.

 

[shootist~]

Mine is mounted high enough that it would be dangerous if not mounted securely (into wood). Also, this mount was the only thing that actually seemed bigger at home than it was in the field. (Body more than horns, anyway.)

I ended up using a 5/16 x 4" (GRK brand, T-30) screw. Much bigger head than a 20 penny nail, which I first considered.

 

[shootist~]

10-4. What if I can find a stud (behind the mount, but off center) and attached a mending plate to the stud on one end and attached mending plate on the other end with a drywall anchor. This way I will have some the weight being carried by a stud. When attaching the mount, I could try and get two points of contact (vs one, think of hanging a picture frame) to distribute the load.

I suggest you get your helpers and ladders and do a mock-up, just holding the mount against the wall. That way you will have a feel for how much weight and force you are dealing with.

We did this and backed off till the next day to get two extension ladders and the big-ass screw (plus a small step ladder in between two tall ones).

 

[MarkB]

I once woke to a bang in the night, it was my caribou falling off the wall. Hung on no stud but one of those , drill a large hole in drywall, stick bolt in and tighten screw so wings open up behind the drywall. That worked for a few months until stated bang. I was lucky as the caribou never got damaged, but I would never do again. Not sure of your stud distance but a metal bracket spanning or a plaque as mentioned seams like the safest.

I must say that my new man cave has 5/8 ply behind drywall and 2x10 bracing so the drywall issue has gone. Would recommend that as a must when opportunity to do on a build is available.

MB

 

[WAB]

Unfortunately you are playing with fire if you do anything other than go directly into a stud with a kudu shoulder mount.

 

[Rare Breed]

Unfortunately for your larger trophies, finding a stud is the only option. Hence why dedicated trophy rooms use ply backing.
After losing a fallow deer from a drywall anchor, I'll never trust them again.

Next year I am building a new trophy room. To your point 1/2 to 3/4 inch plywood going up first then sheet rock so I can hang anything anywhere

 

[WAB]

Next year I am building a new trophy room. To your point 1/2 to 3/4 inch plywood going up first then sheet rock so I can hang anything anywhere

My office is paneled with lap jointed 1”x8” rough cut pine off our farm. It makes a very attractive finish that allows you to hang trophies wherever you like.

 

[Hunt anything]

10-4. What if I can find a stud (behind the mount, but off center) and attached a mending plate to the stud on one end and attached mending plate on the other end with a drywall anchor. This way I will have some the weight being carried by a stud. When attaching the mount, I could try and get two points of contact (vs one, think of hanging a picture frame) to distribute the load.

I am held hostage by the locations of studs as well,when enclosing my 2 car garage for my trophy room years ago I would have put plywood backing instead of drywall but at the time I never invisioned having anything larger than a whitetail.but now if I need to shift away from a stud I use full range systems pivoting wall mount that screws into the stud but the mount can pivot 8 or so inches either way.

 

[thi9elsp]

I would only use studs. However, you could look at your shoulder mounts and determine if an aluminum frame hanger or French Cleat could work. They have two pieces - one mounts to the stud (and if necessary a drywall anchor) and the other side to the back of what you are hanging (I've used for a very large 4 feet by 6 feet framed mirror). You can then slide the mount a bit to the right or left. Unfortunately, some of the wall frame may show.

Hangman Softy or French Cleat are are listed on Amazon.

 

[wesheltonj]

It's not the weight of the mount, it's as @Red Leg stated, the "pulling force as it tries to pivot forward off the wall" that will cause the problem. That why I mounted a shield to two studs and the mount to the shield. The shield could have been in the shape of Africa (or anything else) or just a stock one like I used.

 

[thriller]

anything larger than a whitetail needs a stud in my experience and our whitetails are not that big.

 

[thriller]

I would only use studs. However, you could look at your shoulder mounts and determine if an aluminum frame hanger or French Cleat could work. They have two pieces - one mounts to the stud (and if necessary a drywall anchor) and the other side to the back of what you are hanging (I've used for a very large 4 feet by 6 feet framed mirror). You can then slide the mount a bit to the right or left. Unfortunately, some of the wall frame may show.

Hangman Softy or French Cleat are are listed on Amazon.

I have never heard of a french cleat thats a good idea. I learn something new every day around here.

 

[Justbryan]

I have seen 1/4" flat steel stock with the mounts screwed to the steel. The flat stock was mounted to the studs and painted to match. It was 8' long so used for multiple mounts. They also make steel French cleats that would work. I have used them for other projects.

 

[JimP]

I actually looked at one of my walls that is going to get some mounts from my hunt this month. It is a finished wall and I know that the studs are no where close to where I am going to need them.

So how about using a 1x6 or other size of board that has been finished to complement the trim in the room. Place it up on the wall and then attach your trophy to it. Or if you really want to do some work you can either hire a contractor or drywall specialist to rout out a section of drywall that you can recess a board that is attached to 2 or more studs into and then repaint the wall