french cleats?

[Jim Finn]

I have heard lots of talk about French cleats and I still do not know what they are for sure. Is there a place on this forum with a glossery of terms and of abreviations? Sure would help!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Jim,

There is no glossary of terms here.

Imagine taking a 1 by 8 and ripping it lengthwise down the middle with the blade on the t/s tilted at a 45º angle. Now you have 2 pieces....each the same length and width. You mount one near the top back of a wall cabinet with the sharp point pointed down and away from the cabinet back. You level and screw the other piece to wall studs with the sharp point up and away from the wall. You now take another piece of one by and and screw it to the back of the cabinet near the bottom of the back. You hang the cabinet with the two angled cuts interlocking each other. The 2nd piece near the bottom of the cabinet is just to hold the bottom of the cabinet the same distance from the wall as the top. I typically then run a couple of screws from inside the cabinet...through that bottom piece into a wall stud. This insures it won't accidentally be lifted up and fall off.

I have been insetting my cabinet back by the thickness of the planned french cleat....say 3/4". When I mount the cabinet use the french cleat method, the sides of the cabinet are flush with the wall.

I hope this makes sense.

[Jim Finn]

thanks, I have been hanging things for 20 years that way but never heard the term "French cleat" before. I make them of metal , not wood though. Thanks for your reply. IT is too bad there is no glossary of terms and abbreviations. :( They work well in another forum I used to read. (Not wood related)

[james mcgrew]

we use them for architectural panelling and a variety of other use where snug aganst a wall is required, no fastners shown, removability etc.

the europeans use them to remove and take cabinets with them when they move!!

this company sells the bulk of them to the architectural woodworking industry

http://monarchmetal.com/
description
of z clip

http://monarchmetal.com/pages/panelclip.html


then there is the 3/4" cut on 45 as described by ken

jim mcgrew

[Cody Colston]

I remember watching Guy Drut of France win the 110 meter high hurdles at the Montreal olympics in 1976. I believe he was wearing French cleats at the time. :D

[Matt Ocel]

I remember watching Guy Drut of France win the 110 meter high hurdles at the Montreal olympics in 1976. I believe he was wearing French cleats at the time. :D


Touche!!!!

[David DeCristoforo]

"...I believe he was wearing French cleats..."

Yes... but they were made in China....

[Brent Smith]

"...I believe he was wearing French cleats..."

Yes... but they were made in China....

True, but by a Frenchman :D.