Carpentry and Woodworking - attaching oak plank to overhang

Need to attach 1x6 oak plank to underside of overhang. Unsure of what is in the overhang...stud finder has not found studs. Nails arent holding, and wood is slightly curved. About 9' long I think.

How do I attach it securely? There will be upright oak pieces at both ends to support the ends, but I don't want the center bowing either.

Mollies with wood plug covers has been suggested, but I don't know how to proceed that way...what tools are needed, etc.

Am open to suggestion!

Since you are covering the overhang with the oak, do some exploratory surgery to see where your support members are. I would not use anything but finish nails to attach it to the members.

I'm assuming that you have a plywood soffit with a 1x8 fascia board. If this is correct, then the plywood soffit should be dadoed into the fascia board and nailed to a nailer in the back--usally has some cove moulding or other trim to hide crooked cuts. that supports the front and back. The middle is nailed to 2x4 or 2x2 blocks that are usually spaced 2' on center. These blocks are meant to only support the weight of the soffit so if you are planning on hanging anything heavy on the oak it probably wont hold but you should have a nailer every 2' to support your oak. good luck

I couldn't imagine hanging oak on the exterior of a house. Tell us where this soffit is located.

The overhang is interior. It is a part of a partition wall between kitchen and fam room....I took down the wood framed part & left the overhang/soffit.

I have the piece in place & supported...was a very tight fit getting it in past new wallpaper....so I didn't want to have to take it down, especially not if I found no viable structure to attach to....

I've done a lot around the house, but am really unskilled...I learn as I go and try to think everything through before proceeding. In this case, I wedged that trim piece, ASSUMING it would attach as all the other trim I placed did!

So, if I understand, the general consensus is that there definitely should be something solid to attach to, so my finishing nails will be sufficient, once I find those "studs?"

Thank you so much to all who replied...your ideas & thoughts are invaluable!

beth

Beth: since you already have the wood in place, put your stud finder in deep scan mode and run it along the board to detect any structure there.