Star 1-3/8" Hanger Installation Video
The Star Hanger can be installed in 3 easy steps:
Step 1. Set the Star Hanger
Lay out panels to their exact positions and cut to size. Drill the 1-3/8" holes for the Star Hanger.
Most standard hole saws work fine for the Hanger Pocket. Drill holes approximately 2" to the inside of each corner. There is no need to layout the hole locations, only the panel. The Alignment Pin locates the Panel Screw in the Hanger.
Some hole saws cut about 1/32" larger than the stated dimension, this works well in sheet rock. If you are drilling in wood blocking for Fire Rated Walls, the hole needs to be close to 1.375". In that case, you can file the outside of the saw teeth to make the hole smaller. Drill thru the sheetrock slowly, so the hole will be full size and not tear out the paper on the back. I working in a finished space it is best to use a vacuum held directly under the hole to capture all the dust. If you need the panels to set flush with the sheetrock, you will need to cut or sand a 1/8" wide x 1/16" deep chamfer about the perimeter of the hole. Vacuum the dust out of the hole, for a clean fit. After the drilling the hole, Adjust the Locking Arms to their closed position, the Star Hanger may need light tapping with a flat wood block, this will not hurt the Hanger. The Hanger is not designed to be forced flush to the sheetrock without a chamfer; this will break the sheet rock or the rim of the Hanger. When the Hanger is locked in with no chamfer, it will sit about 1/16" above the surface of the sheetrock, ideal for use with reveal strips.
Once the Hanger is in place, use a Hand Screw Driver to rotate and then lock the Hanger into place. The Star Hanger should be lightly pulled up to the sheetrock, with only light pressure on the screw. If you use a Battery Drill to set the screw, use a slip clutch set on the lightest setting. We advise to try the Hanger on a few test pieces of sheet rock to make sure you have a feel for good contact with both locking arms.
Step 2. Placement of the Alignment Pin
Place the Alignment Pin in the hanger, the pin should fit loosely (1/16" movement on both sides) as it settles into the bottom of the keyhole. Lift the panel up to the exact mounted location. Push each area with a pin to indent (Mark) the backside of the panel.
It is good practice to highlight the location of each pin while close to the wall with the Hangers so you will not miss any pins.
Step 3. Mounting Screws
Place the panels face down on a blanket. Pre-drill the a 3/32" hole, 5/8" deep for the Double Head Screw. Install the double headed hanging screws, so that they fit snuggly, but do not distort the surface of the panel. Check the face of the panels carefully to make sure the screws have not distort the panel surface ( Screw blisters will ruin you day) .
Lift the panel up to it's the exact mounted location, lift the panel up ½" higher, this should put the screws in the center of the Key Hole. Move the panel around until you feel the panel screws fall into the Star Hanger and drop down. As panels drop down the Hanger also pulls the panels into the sheet rock wall, if the panels are bowed some pressure on the top of the panel may be needed. See Trouble Shooting & Installation Instruction Drawings for more information.
Layout the Wall Panels:
The layout of the wall panels is one of the most important steps needed for an attractive panel project. The layout process is beyond the scope of our hardware. However, we have added some tips below and a few sample architectural detailed drawings that are downloadable. Try to keep your panels in the same size range, say between 39" and 47" wide. A formula can help to find your options quickly. Our sample wall is 128" wide. To quickly fine how many panel we want, we take the 128" / 2 panels = 64" Too big. Next, we try 128" / 3 = 42.66" Good, in our range. How we need to find the exact panel size, common variables for the formula are; L = Length of wall to wall, in our case 128" D = Deduct for corner conditions, say we are going to butt a wall panel on the left hand side, 3/8" off the right hand side. R = Revel size wanted between panels, say 3/8" P = Number of panel wanted, we want 3 panels because that is within range.
Formula for equal panel sizes:
(((W - D - ((P + 1) x R ))) / P = Size of each panel
(((128 - .75 - ((3 + 1) x .375))) / 3 = 41.91 Panel Size or 41- 7/8"
