French cleats...YES

[Joe Chritz]

Just started to retro fit my shop with french cleats up the wall every 2 feet.

I haven't even gotten stuff up yet other than tests and I can say that anyone building should definitely start out with them from the go.

Mine are just CDX plywood 3/4" x 3 1/4 wide. What a great system.

Joe

[Tom Rick]

Building out my new shop and would love to have them but what the heck are they???

:D

OK- googled them and am sold, great ideal. How are you laying them out (around the whole shop?), and did you use the installation as an excuse to buy a laser level like I will?

[james mcgrew]

been using this for years

http://benchmark.20m.com/plans/FrenchCleat.pdf

jim

[Jay Maiers]

Why every two feet? I'm planning on putting these in my garage soon, but I was thinking about one foot spacing, maybe even less. this would allow me a higher density of storage space for smaller tools and such (cleat-on tool holders), but give me the flexibility to space things out more for larger items (yard tools, etc.). Is one per foot over doing things?

[Gene Howe]

1' apart?
Think "slat wall". http://www.spacewall.com/

[james mcgrew]

i have used french cleats for hanging many things ( 100.000$ architectural panel walls) but i would not use this system for every day use (things would fall) it works excellent for hanging a row of cabinets level then fastening the bottom to wall, but i ain't so sure about the yard rake!!

[Jay Maiers]

Yeah, similar to slatwall. The link below is a similar idea, only using saw-cut cleats instead of adding the 1/4" material.
http://americanwoodworker.com/blogs/shop/archive/2009/08/04/hyper-organize-your-shop.aspx

I work in the trade show exhibit industry and am pretty familiar with cleats. We use them all the time to speed exhibit assembly on the show floor; hanging light boxes / graphic panels / some shelving, etc. The reason I'm choosing cleats over slatwall is the availability of scrap ply and laminate. We wind up with a lot of 3-4" x8' drops from saw cutting operations and CNC work. I can take my time collecting :)

Anyhow, I'm really wondering if there's a downside to packing them that close together.

[glenn bradley]

I'm sold. This (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=107656&d=1232573981) is a year and a half ago and things have been added / moved several times. Each time it was quick and painless. The continuous cleats allow infinite positioning along the wall at various heights. I just take the spacing into account when I am building fixtures so that anything fits anywhere.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Joe,

I only have 2 wall cabinets so far but both are hung by the french cleat method.

Works like a charm. Even this old guy can hang one by himself as a result too!

[Gene Howe]

I'm sold. This (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=107656&d=1232573981) is a year and a half ago and things have been added / moved several times. Each time it was quick and painless. The continuous cleats allow infinite positioning along the wall at various heights. I just take the spacing into account when I am building fixtures so that anything fits anywhere.

Now, that is pretty darned cool!

[Rod Sheridan]

Same for me, except I only have one wall.

it's easy to hang a run of cleat by yourself, then just as easy to simply clip the cabinet on the cleat.

Regards, Rod.

[Adam Strong]

I have a continuous cleat at the same height all the way around the (block walled) shop to hang my upper cabinets and a few other things. It makes rearranging the shop a snap and should I ever move to a new home, the cabs could easily go with me without leaving a mess of holes behind.

[Joe A Faulkner]

I for one appreciate the various links and pictures of these systems in this thread. Thanks to those of you who have shared from your experience and/or knowledge of these systems.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I use the method shown in the PDF above but I recess the back of my cabinet in by the thickness of the material used for the french cleat.

So if I'm hanging a 36" wide cabinet, I will put up a french cleat say 32" long on the wall and full width side to side at the top of the cabinet.

Thus when I hang the cabinet, the sides and top seal tightly against the wall and nothing can fall down behind the cabinet including sawdust.

I will also put a piece of 3" wide at the bottom of the cabinet and screw through it, the cabinet back and into the wall or wall stud to prevent the cabinet from accidentally lifting up off the french cleat at the top.

Cool way to hang cabinets and move them if necessary.

[Joe Chritz]

I don't go to the trouble of hiding the cleat on shop cabs now that I am using them.

I am still putting stuff up and out of the way that was taking up space just a few days ago.

Pop together a simple box and add a small cleat section. Instant storage for stuff. Knock out a clamp rack, etc.

Joe