Project 4 – Tool Storage

A French Cleat

As many of my friends and family will attest to, I’ve been talking about this idea for a while now, perhaps even months!, I think it’s safe to say, they’ve all heard enough about the idea and would just wish I got on with it.

The system I want to use to store various tools and things on the wall is called a ‘French Cleat’ (not again I hear them say!).

Basically, a French cleat is a piece of Plywood cut lengthways with a 45 degree angle on one edge, this is used to ‘hook’ a tool holder, a shelf, a cupboard, or practically anything else onto a wall, in my case, tool storage racks, boxes and holders to give me more space and get things off the floor where possible.

As you can see, it’s a simple idea but has MANY practical applications.

Imagine trying to install a head height cupboard on the wall in your kitchen by yourself. You would need to in some magical and impossible way, lift and hold a fairly heavy cupboard at head height, while at the same time trying to line it up with your predrilled holes, then grab your drill and screw in your first screw, now while still holding the cupboard in place (which is only held up with one screw), put your drill down, line up the second hole, grab another screw and place that in your next predrilled hole, then grab your drill again and screw that in place and repeat until you have enough screws in place to let go of the cupboard.

That all sounds quite difficult and more like a balancing act to me, what if you could simply take a strip of a wood (a French cleat), pre drill a few holes along it’s length, then add a screw somewhere near the middle, place your spirit level on top to check it’s level, then drill and screw in any remaining screws. When done, simply lift the cupboard up and hook it onto the French cleat….how much simpler does that sound!?…far less cursing when you inevitably drop the screw you’re trying to hang the cupboard with and the others are just out of reach.

Some of the additional features include (but are not limited to):-

• You can move anything on the cleat, to any other cleat, or position on the current cleat as nothing is attached with screws or nails.
• You can add ‘locks’ to the cleats to ensure whatever you hook on to it cannot be lifted off accidentally, without first removing the ‘lock’ (strip of wood preventing it being lifted up).
• You can create many different size and shape holders to suit whatever you’re storing.
• You can use two or more cleats to provide greater strength for any heavy / large objects.
• You could place the cleats on a sheet of plywood for example to give you a small cavity behind the cleat which could be used for cables etc to keep everything looking clean and tidy.

Watch this space for all the things I start to hang on the wall! 😉