How to Make French Cleats | Tricks of the Trade
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2025
- One of those hidden gems in woodworking, the French cleat is so simple, (but so wonderful) that if you're not familiar with it, once you learn you'll be looking for chances to use it!
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…well, I suppose he does look like George Lucas
This is the simplest and best video on French cleat .👍
Nice and clear instructions! I see a lot of folks trying to make headboards. They make them really pretty but don’t know how to attach to the wall. The French cleat is a perfect solution. Of course, you need tools and know-how, but, it’s my choice for a diy headboard project. I’ll be making a few of these in our new home soon.
This is the best How To make a French cleat I have ever seen. Thanks for making a complex simple
What a breath of fresh air, a well presented common sense really useful tip. Bravo! wish there were more like you on UA-cam.
you can include a small extra step... with your table saw or a few swipes with a hand plane, rip/ cut a 1/16 or so off the sharp edge of the 45° french cleats... IMO this little extra has a couple benefits, a slightly flattened or blunt edge of the 45° cleat much more comfortable to handle... if you pick-up your cabinet, etc. by cleat, that sharp edge of the 45° can sometimes cut into your fingers. But also, it makes your cabinet, etc. much easier to pop on/ off the wall. especially when hanging heavier things, on that sharp edge on the 45° cleats have a tendency to get wedged slightly under/behind one another, making it a challenge every time you go to lift/ off the cleat. Cut 1/16 or so off the sharp edge of 45° along both cleats, and the cleats don’t get wedged/ jammed behind one another when hanging heavier things such as cabinets, etc.
That's what I do (blunt it with a block plane). It does make a big difference.
45 degrees is too steep an angle , 25 degrees works even better, and blunt the leading edge and you have a very comfortable handle. And never had a cabinet fall off the wall.
Why is it called a “ French “ cleat?
@@paulbadger6336 Other than your desire for a handle, why is 45 "too steep"?
It has worked quite well for me, and 35-45 degrees seems to be the most common implementation. I can't think of any good evidence-supported reason why you need to go with a more shallow angle. I've never had nor seen one break.
I haven't seen a definitive source for why it is named a "French Cleat". Lots of ideas, but no real proof.
@@paulbadger6336 ok. Thought of one. If you are super tight in vertical space (like upper kitchen cabinet with almost no clearance above), a very shallow angle can save you a little vertical space, and might make the difference between hanging the cabinet and not. I think that's a good reason, when you have those situations.
This also means that if your wall cleat collects small amounts of sawdust, the hanger cleat can still drop all the way into position.
Simple and succinct! My wife and I just moved into a new home and our garage is about 2,000 square feet, most of which is being used for woodworking. I love to use vertical space to keep the floor clear, so this presentation shows how I can do that very easily without breaking the bank. Thanks, and happy Independence Day!!
I am going to ask my carpenter to do this for me in my new studio! SO neat!
Thank you for a brilliant video and such clear instructions!
Wow. Thanks for this clear, SHORT and easy tip!
I appreciate the way you explained french cleats! Thank you!
Short and sweet. I think the big key to French cleats is installing them when you put in the shop before everything is fastened to the walls. I installed strips all around my shop walls when I first built my shop. So handy!
Agree.
Great tip. Years back I decorated the garage with a bunch of poster size photos that I have taken over the years. I live in the South and occasionally I have to vacuum the spiderwebs from the walls and corners. The French cleat system allows me to remove and reinstall the frames quickly and easily and they are always straight. The wall portion of the cleats are short and hide behind the frames.
You actually get webs behind the flush-mounted pieces?
I LOVE this, simple & straight to the point 👍 thank you
Thanks for a clear and informative instruction that was not too long. Straight to my workshop now to make one. Happy New Year.
Another tip: Trim about 1/8” off the sharp edge off both sides of the cleat, to minimize the risk of debris preventing a solid interface, or glue squeeze out making the attachment permanent.
What about for something that's staying on the wall, such as art? Do you still recommend the trim cut? Thanks
@@leonardodalongisland yes, even if its just art, over time dust/ debris can build up and potentially keep the cleat from fully seating
@@christopherwilliams9639 Thanks
This is the way
Nice direct instructions. Perfect!
Very good way to attach a cabinet to the wall. Thank you for the video.
A very clever and simple idea. Thank you for the video.
Another easy thing to do? Don't make the cleat the exact width of the cabinet, and you have some side-to-side wiggle room to slide it it left or right to get it exactly centered if you're off by a hair. Or even an inch.
I want to do some pretty floating shelves in my room and I think French cleats will work great for this! Thank you
This was a great video, super helpful - thankyou!
Thank you for providing this video. You explain how to hang a cabinet flush to the wall using this method. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Thank you for this trick, hope you have a nice day. 😁
I used this method on one of my lamp builds and it worked out perfectly for my first attempt.
Fantastic straight to the point video.
Great vid, short yet complete. I *love* French cleats! Made a pot and wine glass hanging rack for my wife. Sticks out over two feet from the wall, and is heavy being made of oak, plus all the load it carries. Yet it's literally held up magically by gravity. Would've been a bear to screw to the wall working alone, but w the cleats it went up in seconds. My default method for hanging cabinets, storage bins etc
Thank's so much for this! Your video is easy to follow.
Thank you for saving me A LOT of money.
Thank you... very helpful guide on the cleat production!!! Will use it on my wall back cushion hang!!!!
Great video! Thank you!
Great quick tutorial. Happy new year!
!!Just what I was looking for for my project !! Thanks and greetings from a new subscriber from Mexico
quick easy, to the point. no in video ads. the way all videos should be done. sub. liked. favorite.
Thank you!!!
Simple and straight to the point.
perfect video explanation 🎉. Thank you 🙏
Permanent cabinets can receive a screw through back from the inside to hit the lower part of the cleat.
I have a headboard that I want to mount, and I wanted to ask this question. Now I don't need to, thank you!
Very good information!!
Nice and to the point explanation.
1. One thing you want to make sure is that the diagonal pencil line bisects the saw blade kerf. This is important if the cleats are part of a multiple cleat wall system. Maybe not critical, but helps with overall spacing, etc.
2. Since the item is just hanging onto the cleat via gravity, a bump from underneath could dislodge it. For example, its in a spot where someone standing up from bending over could bump their head. There are lot of ways to 'lock' cleats.
Very good tutorial thank you
After watching 900 French cleat videos, I think this is a favorite for all the reasons listed in the comments.
I love videos like this. Thank you! Sub'd. It reminds me to appreciate other people as we all have the knowledge to share.
Excellent, thank you!
Thank you, great video that got me mounted 👌
Great information! Very well presented! Thanks so much!
Outstanding, thank you.
Love it - can’t wait to try it!
Thanks man. Brilliant ideas! I hit LIKE & subscribed.
Thank you, good information.
Put a handle on that shelf..wow that was eye opening!! Ty
Great video. Loved the tips.
Thank you very much sire that’s amazing
Awesome! Love it. Thank you.
Thanks got a new subscriber look forward to see your other ideas.
Thank you sir, helped me out.
Many thanks.
I was just about to order the aluminum French cleats online but not anymore. Thanks. Great video.
Fabulous video. Does the strength increase, using a thicker Piece of plywood? I am going to use this trick to mount a tv cabinet.
I feel like everything should be mounted with French cleats
TVs should come with a french cleat too. all you have to do to install it is provide the other piece on the wall!!!
@@fadisharif mindblown.gif
@@fadisharif Make your own fit it to the TV job done
depends on how rigid the material is. or if the cabinet is light and you accidentally bump your shoulder up it might unhook
As much as possible. I use it as a go to for heavy items, garage, workshop, etc.
Great job
Thank you! Simple, easy to follow video! Would also love some plans for the cabinet shown in the example
Elvis, you don't need plans for that cabinet. It's a pretty simple set up, just work up a set for yourself that are similar.
Thanks
great video. nicely explained. thanks for sharing :-)
Confused about the 1 1/8 bit and when I went back to watch the fence is set to 1 3/8
How did you come up with cutting the 3 in.board at 1 1/8 in. to get equal widths and how thick is the material. also are you counting the blade thickness in the measurement.
If you really want to know where you need to start cutting to make it even on both sides, then make a vertical line at the midpoint for the width and then make a 45-degree line cross that at the midpoint for the thickness... The kerf of your blade would have to split that 45 degree line... Why worry about the distance from the edge?
Thank you. And you have beautiful hair =)
Helpful thank you, love this system. I'm new to woodwork and basically teaching myself with the shelf of these types of videos. Just made my first long, narrow shelf in my kitchen to store tea caddy etc. I suspect there is no wall support and that is the reason its not staying put. Any ideas?
No one EVER shows how to cut a French cleat into two equal strips,
until Woodshaped UA-cam video on how to cut an angle.
Genial!!! 👍👏
Thank you for the helpful video. What do you recommend to prevent the cleat from splitting when mounting to the wall? I keep running into this issue. I was hoping you would show that part.
Pre-drill holes.
if you're not using plywood for the cleats then try that. usually shouldnt be an issue since each ply alternates the end grain
Fair question. Best answer if to cut close to the angle with the hand saw, and then clean up the cut with a hand plane. The good news is it doesn't have to be a very clean cut, or a perfect 45° angle! close is good here as no one will ever see it!
Great tip - but regarding a mobile workshop you offered a few pearls- Well said & thank you!
I have seen upper kitchen cabinets hung from French cleats with the cabinet cleat built into the cabinets at the top, with very lose of usable interior cabinet space. They used one long cleat on the wall carefully hung to be level and then just hung the several different cabinets to that, making them all level to one another. (Standardize where the cleats are on the cabinets.)
Also you may not always want the cleat sawed in the center. If you had something heavy to hang, cut a 5 or 6 inch board off center and screw the wider part to the wall. Then you should be able to get 2 screws into each 2x4 stud. The cleat on the cabinet could be attached in enough places to hold its part.
Also, make the cleat on the wall shorter than the one on the cabinet, then if you get instructions that it needs to be a little to the left, (not that much!) then you are still in good shape.
Vary the thickness of the cleat material! On some heavy objects you might want to use 3/4 inch material and on lighter objects use 1/4 inch plywood.
I plan on making and mounting a french cleat system in my garage. My question is this: I have concrete block walls, can I mount the cleats directly to the walls? or should I still mount to a plywood base? or first mount 2x2's to the walls then mount either plywood or cleats to them?? Thank you
How about the weight? My cabinet is very heavy and I'm hanging it up on a concrete wall. Will it be able to hold?
Great video. Thank you! I am thinking of doing this for an IKEA Billy Bookcase. Their product kit comes with a metal L bracket. I really hate seeing those L brackets in my house. Is there any reason why a french cleat would not work for a bookcase?
Let's say you have one half of your cleat mounted to a wall. If you attach a board at a 90 degree angle to the other half of the cleat, so that when the cleats are joined it makes a shelf, will the shelf sit level?
Question: Will this technique also work in Italy?
Due to tariffs, unfortunately no
Wow add a handle and it's a tool box 👍🏽💯🙌🏽
Wow. 3 things I cannot live without: French cleats, French Drains and French Fries. Just kidding ..
what about ? French women , wine, food
( provided she shaves her pits) LOL
Roughtly, how much weight would you say that this supports?
Great
This is one of the easiest things to do dont let the sound of the blade cutting the wood scare you. I watched my dad do this many times when I would help him making custom cabinets . I'll never forget the smell of saw dust and the smell of hardwood.wish I would've payed more attention to his work
How thick is that plywood?
Good job l'artiste
Big up Amigo !!!
Hi
Can I use French Cleat from your video for a tv console cabinet floating wall?
How do you make it so when you cut it on a 45 degree angle that both pieces are the same size?
How much weight will they hold
What type pf plywood was that made with? Thanks!
Nice!
2021 CLEAT GANG GANG
French cleats are the best cleats
How much weight can a French cleat like that hold you think?
I made a French cleat with a 2x2 piece of left over I had but it doesn't seem sturdy. All it is is a 1x4 screwed to the opposing french cleat which I filled holes in for my screw drivers but it's real wobbly when I set it on the French cleat which is on the wall. Any ideas why?
Can you provide the link to the storage box your using?
Can you put French cleats just in studs of an unfinished wall? Or do I need to screw in a sheet of plywood first?
Plywood backing reccomended yes
I have used a French Cleat system in an unfinished (studs only) barn, hanging rabbit cages. It "works".. but a continuous run of plywood behind would offer you MUCH more stability.
Think of standing on your toes vs laying flat on the ground in the "let's make a snow angel" position. Thee more of any two surfaces that make contact, the more stable and secure they are.
Question for anyone here. If I’m doing two cleats. Like a top and bottom on something heavy, how do I measure accurately so both line up and rest in their respective halves on the wall. Like I would mount the wall portions then how do I measure to ensure I mount the other portions to the work piece properly. Any tips?
Mount the top cleat to the item, put the second cleat into the receiver with double-sided tape, set item into place and push against double-sided tape. Remove the item and either scribe a line or drill and screw. Remove the cleat and tape and reassemble permanently.
@@dirtyhands5323 genius! Thank you so much.
@@KemDIY glad to help, good luck.
Im a little slow but i didnt get the total size of cleat or the 1 1/8 part
I've used this on bed heads in the past
I'm assuming that it is important that the piece that is screwed to the back of the cabinet be level as well. Otherwise, regardless of how level the piece on the wall is things just won't line up.
I have a question. How about the weight concern? Does the French cleat system bear less weight than directly screwing several screws on the wall?
The advantage for strength in my experience is that you can screw a cleat to every stud, and because you're not doing the fixed with the weight in your hands you can make better screw joints to the back of the cabinet.
Because of the angle, the cleat pulls the cabinet to the wall with downward pressure, so it's not going to come off accidentally.
I can sit on a cabinet with French cleats holding it up, as long as the cabinet itself is strong enough to hold my weight and it's screwed into the piece and the studs well, it's not budging.
Thank you!
Actually it's spreads the weight about the same. You still have the same contact point(s) in the wall, but a French cleat does give you a slightly better chance of catching studs without the potentially odd placement of screws looking ugly from the front of the cabinet.
I have heavy Lumber hanging about half the length of my shop on a French cleat system and the cleats are spaced about a foot apart vertically with about six rows and the lumber sits across 4 in brackets that look like the stringers that hold metal shelves on a store display and are slightly tilted upward. Because of the plywood wall and the weight distribution of the cleats they are able to hold a ton of weight.