Great job. I loved your video and saw your interview as well on another channel. You are doing great things. That 45 degree angle is super important. At 45 degrees, forces in the X and Y direction are the same. That's the only angle from 0 to 90 degrees that offers that which is 45 is found everywhere when you need building strength.
Thank you, Dave! Dang, that’s a great point. I wish I’d put it that way in the video 😆 That’s the engineering side of things that I sometimes don’t convey as well in my scripts. Thanks for watching the interview with Steve too-he’s such an easy guy to talk to!
@@instantalbums Great question. I have never used a cleat for a vanity - but have for a variety of power tools. Definitely towards the top and bottom. Give it two points of attachment for stability. Max weight? Well, I'm sure there is but for a vanity if you do two points attached to studs, you should be fine.
This is by far the best channel for everyone. I'm a union carpenter of 10 years and still love hearing you explain things/methods I've been using for years
Yeah, I'm a hack carpenter that's leveled up over the years, same deal, it's great having things like this explained and learning a few things along the way
There's one more benefit, especially for cabinets and other living space fixtures/art: it makes it much easier to ensure your piece is level. You only have to make sure the lightweight and easy to handle cleats are level when mounting them to the wall, and then make sure your cabinet-side cleat is square, and then you can just throw it on the wall without worrying about leveling up a large cabinet.
It also gives some flexibility for the left/right positioning of the object. Depending on the width of your cleats, you could potentially adjust your object several inches one way or the other.
We utilize french cleats all the time for high school theater sets. The kids run the show and we needed a simple, strong method to put scene overlays on different set pieces. For example, Kids will grab a 6' x 6' flat, run out on stage during scene change, drop it into place, shift left/right for alignment, run off stage. Speeds up the scene changes a lot!
I’ve noticed that French cleats make hanging things that are long horizontally way easier. Also it’s a better way to spread the weight across the wall rather than in just one or two spots.
As a picture framer, I can say that the aluminum cleats like Honest Carpenter links to are great not only for heavy things but also for customers who do not like the traditional way a picture hangs from wire and want a more even against the wall look. When using them on very heavy frames, and I've done this on a ridiculously heavy mirror that was 10 feet wide, remember you can put another rail along the bottom edge of the frame for extra support as long as your frame is wide enough to hide the wall hardware. About 3 inches should do it.
One of the most inspired things I did in my garage was to put a french cleat rail all along the top of the walls. I wanted to get bulky, less frequently used stuff as out of the way as possible, more importantly not shoved behind something in a forgotten cabinet or shelf. If you can't find it, or don't remember you have it, you'll end up getting another. It was so useful I ran a second rail all the way around, then down even more rails in select wall areas. Because I was able to move whole 'areas', e.g. metal working, camping/fishing, in an hour or less, I found out over time that I had some areas of my garage arranged inefficiently. Another benefit was how fun it was to design and build oddball custom 'hangers' for weird stuff - a perfect destiny for cutoffs and scraps.
@@duzzitmatter8679 Thanks, but after looking at things with a critical eye the only things anybody would find interesting would be a half dozen of those oddball scrap based 'hangers. The hat rack, drain auger, fluorescent/LED tubes, layout station, crossfire laser, and orphaned drill bit holders are the most original and seem to get the most "Hey, I think I'm going to do that." comments. The rest of it is basic stuff like you see on all of the french cleat channels like shelves, the mandatory charging station, or a stiff laundry basket with a hanger cleat attached to the back. All said, not enough to document for posterity.
I would have added that when hanging cabinets etc, it’s much easier to ensure that they are level. Verify that the wall cleat is level, and the corresponding cleat on the object to be hung is square/level. This is a huge advantage when your hanging a large or heavy object by yourself. You don’t need anyone to hold the cabinet in place while your trying to screw it down. Plus as you mentioned, you can adjust from side to side easily if necessary. Thanks for another good, quick and informative video...
A cheap metal French cleat from WalMart solved a HUGE problem I had with a 45lb mirror. That cleat alone is rated at 80lbs as drilled into studs. It’s a perfect solution many times.
I'm not sure when those little things showed up, Duzzit. But they're crazy helpful! It's really a point-and-shoot solution for most smaller mounting tasks.
@@TheHonestCarpenter - I completely agree. I did struggle with how to mount the mirror as it belonged on the dresser. I mounted a TV above that instead. Looked at several different mounts and found this… www.walmart.com/ip/Hangman-Products-S2060-SF-32-80-Simple-Flat-Panel-TV-Mount-with-Stud-Finder/55556923. The solution was almost too easy. 👍
I'm gearing up to build a cabin-style tiny house, and have been struggling with the fact that I want to balance two conflicting desires ... I like the durability and solidity of making much of a structure built-in (specifically the places that will be a desk corner and a kitchen counter with lots of fold-out features) ... That is to say, I don't really care for freestanding furniture all over the place ... But I also like being able to just up and rearrange a room now and then for the sake of a change! Now I know this is the perfect solution! If I design the entire space with cleat-equipped walls from the get-go like a big workshop, not only will that look awesome, but also I'll be able to mount all my large structures and shelves in a universal size of cleat form factor, then have infinite customizability and be able to tweak the space easily later after I've lived in it for a while and really tried things out! This is great, thanks for this! I knew a bit about french cleats before but your video inspired me to consider their full potential and I'm very excited to go places with this idea 😁
French cleats all the way. Versatility in the shop when adding new tools or reorganising tools is the number one reason i use them. Great content. Cheers 👍😎🇦🇺
This videos are the highlight of my week, every week. I always learn something new. I knew about French cleats but didn't know all their benefits, I've been thinking of making some myself for a project but was hesitant since I've never made them, and knowing I can buy them solves all problems at once. Thanks for another amazing video!
One issue that the cleat (or any wall mounting) brings to mind is "lever action." This is not an issue for flat objects that don't extend away from the wall, (the force they exert is directly downward). But for objects such as shelves or cabinets, the weight is some horizontal distance away for the wall, so the force is down and away, (the attachment is the fulcrum and the shelf is the lever). If the cleat described in the video can hold 80 pounds, what is the relationship between the depth of the item (and height), and the weight a cleat can hold, before the cleat fails.
Love them too. My first experience was a mirror I ordered. It came with a metal French cleat. Worked great getting it level, AND could easily slide it left and right to get it perfectly centered over the sink. Txs
I’ve been using French cleats in the museum world before they were even a thing. Not only do they support a massive amount of weight, but they hold work snugly to the wall and never go crooked. Back in the day people used to think I invented them!
Tell them you did, monkey!😆 That's awesome to hear you worked in a museum. You're right--they brace an object tight to the wall. Someone really has to unsettle it badly to dislodge it in any way.
Know nothing about carpentry here, so how do you attach the French cleats to the cabinet or whatever your hanging, aren't you also screwing through the back of the cabinet wall then again relying on the strength of the cabinet? Maybe I totally don't get it since I'm not in carpentry, but am genuinely interested.
Love the bit about how to strengthen with two screws spaced vertical 1 inch apart and then having more than one cleat for heavy furniture. Brilliant video 👍
I love French cleats! I had panels made to block off the under part of my deck and hung them w/ French cleats. This way we can easily remove them to clean.
I’m building some cabinets which need to not touch the floor due to extreme vibration caused by a nearby clothes washer/drier. This is the answer. I love your videos and hope you start publishing again. You should have a show on PBS.
Thank you! This is all very inspiring stuff. I used to do a lot of DIY many years ago, stopped for various reasons, and am now getting back into it. I came across your channel as I was looking at drill reviews and I'm so grateful I did!
Thank you for making this video. I had been researching a DIY headboard. I wanted to attach it to the wall instead of the bed and now I know how to do that. Awesome timing!
Awesome, luxury! That’s exactly what bob did for his walnut headboard, and that thing was HEAVY. It worked out great! Just make sure that if your stud wall is crooked, you shim dips until the cleat isn’t bowing at all. Good luck!
Thank you so much for this educational video ! I am a left handed person in a right handed world and by watching your videos I am getting educated. Thank you !
I used aluminium cleats to mount kitchen cabinets to the wall. I was doing it solo, and that system allowed me to do it easily. The only problem with those cleats is that they couldn't be mounted recessed on the back of my cabinets, so there is a gap at the bottom. But with the backsplash and a little bit of caulk it looks good. _"Do your best, caulk the rest"_ 😅
Looks like you took the time to chamfer a bit of relief on the ends of your cleats as well. That's clever and a sign that you know what you are talking about. Great job!
Great video. Everyone should get to know this system, it’s extremely reliable. Get the metal one mentioned if you don’t have access to a table saw. I strengthened an IKEA double cabinet that had survived a fall, however it killed a monitor. I took 1x4 pine and screws to go all around the back of the cabinet, and accommodate my oak French cleat, fashioned to a pine wall cleat. To support the bottom of the cabs I ran the rest of the 1x4 pine scrap for another wall cleat and put two screws with washers for even more strength. I want to say it was cut at 36 degrees. Couldn’t be stronger!
Good to know cleats can be used in so many ways. You demonstrated this easily in the video. Now I'm rethinking how I'll hang my kitchen cabinets. Thanks!
Thanks for the super duper explanation of French cleats! This is easily one of the most educational videos on RU-vid by far. People like you make RU-vid😂 invaluable!😊
Thanks. I just watched 5 videos about french cleat shelves for various tools and came away with absolutely no clue what French cleats were or how they work. Subscribing.
I use a French Cleat method to hang my table saw to the end of my workbench and use the bench as an out feed table. I can simply lift it off and replace it with my router table or jig saw. VERY convenient!
I love French cleats. Discovered them a few years back and all my shop cabinets and a few in home cabinets are now hung this way. It's so much sturdier than anything else I've tried, and brilliant when I need to take down a cabinet for any reason (cleaning usually).
I watched several videos and while they were informative about various ways to use this method they did not explain the basics! You DID!! Proving that you can teach old “ladies” new tricks. Thank you!
I'm not even building shelves but i found this very informational! Great system I might need to incorporate into my garage - It seems it would also help level long objects
I'm new to woodworking, and haven't built anything recently due to the heat. I now look forward to getting back in the shop and incorporating French cleats into my designs. I had no idea how strong they were. Thanks for info! This video got me to subscribe!
This system is great for kitchen cabinets and replacing them/remodeling/repairing the wall/adding wiring in the wall or repipes......lift em off/fix or replace whatever/put em back on without all the headaches......
An additional element of engineering that you could add: the pulling force acting on the bevel and cleat is proportional to the ratio "length of overhang / support height below bevel" (times the weight, obviously). For instance, a 10-lb tool resting on an 8-inch bracket (i.e. center of mass 4" from the wall) which only reaches down to the bottom of the wall cleat (typically 2 inches) will pull 20 lbf off the wall. The basic takeaway message is to extend support brackets as far down as practical (e.g. rest them on the next cleat down), at least for heavy stuff, esp. when the weight is far from the wall.
My wife has been wanting me to design some wall racks to place her shoes and purses on. This gives me an awesome idea of what to do. Thanks for the inspiration. Don’t tell anyone but she asked me about three years ago 😎
That is PERFECT. Long enough you can claim the entire idea and get credits for being so thoughtful to make her life a bit easier and more organized. Not that I would ever personally have such a selective memory.
So I was wondering how I could hang a large string art project that was 2ft x 4ft on a natural wooden backboard for my aunt as a gift. I came across the French cleat and decided to “RU-vid it” to see what it is and how it works. Your video is a great beginner friendly visual for me to see what it is all about. I will contact my aunt to see if this is how she would like to proceed. Thank you for putting together a very basic highly informative video for those of us who are noobs. 😂
This is the explanation I was looking for. Thanks for sharing it. I will use this awesome trick while creating TV UNIT by my own where wires may requires maintenance or add or upgrade with new gadgets.
Cool. Had never heard of it before. Looks useful for the right application. This video was in the 'recommended' list time and again, but I thought, "what do I care about an exotic "French cleat" but I eventually gave in and watched it. Glad I did. Thanks.
I just got the paint to stamp, the five and one based on your last video; I have them in the past but because of your video Explaining at all, I decided to get the same exact one you had on the video brother
I've watched many of your videos and always learn from them... I saw this some time ago and just watched it again because I built a portable workbench /off feed table and was thinking of using this idea to hang tool & accessory bins on the sides. Your explanation helped me decide this is the way to go. Thanks for the very nice educational video(s) - Larry
I had experimented with such forms at various times but didn't know what they were called. Your video has given me some new ideas for my new work shop and home projects. Thanks a million.
I used French cleats to hang everything in my garage and in my shop….I even used it as a rail system for peg board. It holds amazing amounts of weight.
It is the perfect way to hang pegboard, and I did as well. But beware that if you do it the intuitive way, the rail(s) and the cleat(s) itself will not allow a hook to go in where they are. Only really a problem when your rails are 'dense' behind the pegboard as I've seen some do.
I had landlord that let me set up an entertainment center that was mounted this way. I made the wall cleat shorter than the cabinet cleat so I could slide it along the wall. It's only purpose was to remove it from a corner about 2 feet in order to give room for a Christmas tree in that corner. I didn't think it would be permanent so I didn't make the thing all that awesome looking. It was only supposed to serve a purpose. Landlord liked it so much he gave me 2 months free rent to leave it behind when I moved out.
I am currently busy setting up a new hobby area in my house and the walls of that room are all concrete that requires heavy masonry equipment to drill anything in.. I kept thinking about practical wall mount system solutions but I couldn't come up with anything that could hold heavier weights. i guess I don't need to explain how useful this video was! Thank you so much, you have been repeatedly helpful in so many of my projects, keep it up!
That's awesome, Ruta! Since you've got so much masonry to deal with, you could probably do what I did on my back wall here and attach all your cleats to a partial sheet of 3/4" plywood, then just mount the ply panel to the wall. Saves on individual fastener points, but still gives you something strong. And as crazy as it sounds, you maaay want to hang some 5-mil plastic between the wood and masonry--just in case you get any moisture wicking through that wall. Thanks for watching, work safe!
Great video. Also the insights to "why and how" make it easier to understand the concept behind it. yet making it easier for different projects which can adapt the knowledge.
Thanks! I've watched some of those other videos about French cleats but I still learned a lot from this one. I appreciate the insight into the engineering.
I'm not a carpenter. I'm barely a modest DIYer. Yet I find your videos interesting and informative, just so I have a better understanding of not just how things work or how to do specific projects, but the WHY behind them. To me, understanding WHY something is done one way or another, or WHY to use this tool rather than that one, helps whether I'm tackling a project on my own or discussing it with a contractor to do it for me. Thank you @honestcarpenter!
Thanks jmg! That’s exactly the approach I always like to take. I trained a lot of other tradespeople and homeowners over the years on job sites, and I always found that if you start with the “why,” everything that comes after will stick better. Thanks for watching!
Great learning vid as always- forwarded to my son, too!! Love hiding set up and strength of the FC method and moving mounted objects! Hey Ethan, your garage/working room is looking sooooo awesome!! Love all your builds- envying over here!!! 🤪😜🥰👊👍👍
I appreciate all the explanations and discussions of the value of the 45deg surface of the cleat, but it is actually dependant on the center of the load being below the joint and the flat back of the cleated holder maintaining/preventing tilt/outward rotation of the load...particularly with shop walls tool holders...and ;) if all else fails a single drywall screw can prevent failure ;)
I was planning on using french cleats in the work space area of my garage, but only the cleates directly mounted to the wall. That added plywood backing however makes it look very sharp and Im guessing helps increase the strength. It may cost more but I think Ill go with that.
Great video. My guess is that the load limiting factor is closer to the the shear strength of the attachment screw(s). I have used French cleats for an outdoor green wall with the system made of cedar. The hanging cleats hold planters that can be placed and moved to decorate as a function of the plants they hold and how they grow. Very versatile. Thanks for sharing!
I’d say your right, Walter! I didn’t get into the “lag vs screw” issue, but fastener type definitely determines strength. Somewhere along the line I guess material could fail, but it would be at a pretty high load. The fastener head would probably pull through.
The best 5 minutes anyone could spend on the subject of French cleats. If you didn't learn enough from this video, then you should consider another activity.
Very much like the French cleat method for hanging cabinets. You don't have to see screws from the inside screwed into studs, you can easily move the cabinet side to side or take it down if needed. You only need one strong board between the studs to hang it and one lighter board near the bottom so it hangs plumb. A far better way to hang a cabinet. It also allows you to use a thinner back board which decreases weight because you simply fasten the cleat into the frame. You can also hang smaller cabinets that don't span two studs thereby avoiding drywall fasteners which are not very strong.
I haven't made any myself, but I did get a fold up work bench made by Kobalt at Lowes and it attaches to the wall with a metal french cleat system, I liked it so much I bought a second one. ;-)
I didn't even know that French Cleats existed or what they were! I didn't think that they could hold so much weight at first, they almost looked the tiniest bit flimsy, dare I say (I thought the bevel parts would just rip out of the supports!)! Great video as usual, I like your channel because I know that I can rely on it, and I don't have to go scrolling through thousands of random videos!
I built my first mirror frame and used the french kleat hanger because it was so heavy (67"x37" with 1/4 thick mirror). And that thang hasnt moved yet!!! ;-)
