Walls and Ceilings - Finding Studs under Tongue and Groove

So my home is circa 1909 and the walls are drywall over horizontal tongue and groove cedar over irrigularly spaced studs.

Any suggestions for finding the studs? This would be for hanging kitchen cabinets.

My electronic studfinder is useless in this situation.

Where could I find an old magnetic one? There is a heapload of nails holding the T & G in.

Thanks

Can you tell anything by thumping on the wall? You might be able to open up an electrical box and seeing if it's next to a stud - turn the juice off first!
and remember many of those old houses don't have the studs on 16" centers.

If nothing else you could take a drill and hunt and peck for the studs - just be sure your holes will be hid by the cabinets:D

Unless you use a stud finder specifically designed for deeper studs and/or to go through thicker material your stud finder won't work.

As for a magnetic one if you can see the nails the magnetic finder will just be finding ones you already know about.The principal is to find hidden nails that are under drywall compound etc but with t&g it's probably too thick if the nails are not exposed.

Box stores sell magnets, as well as dollar stores. With 1/2" drywall and 3/4" cedar, plus the cabinet backer- 3/4" = 2". Most cabinet screws are 2-1/2-3", you're only going into real wood 1". I'd add some molly's to grip that cedar, and not worry to much if you removed a 2" strip of rock horizontally to find the nails, as mentioned. Attach with cabinet screws, not sheetrock screws. Be safe, GBR

I cheat, I use my infrared camera. Quick story. Finished an audit for a 90 year young lady (she built the house) and during the audit she quizzed me about my camera. Jokingly, I had told her it was a $10,000 stud finder and she was anxious to try it because none of the ones she had ever found were worth that much :).

Fire departments, some builders, and all auditors will have them, maybe a rental shop. You could map out your whole house.

Bud