EXPAND THIS SECTION for important information related to this video► ★THIS VIDEO MADE POSSIBLE BY★ Ridge Carbide (Use coupon code SNWJ10): goo.gl/z8TP0k Please help support us by visiting this link website for a quick look around! ★OTHER RESOURCES RELATED TO THIS VIDEO★ -More videos on our website: stumpynubs.com/ -Subscribe to our e-Magazine: stumpynubs.com/browse-and-subscribe/ -Check out our project plans: stumpynubs.com/product-category/plans/ ★FOLLOW OUR SOCIAL MEDIA★ -Instagram: instagram.com/stumpynubs/ -Twitter: twitter.com/StumpyNubs -Facebook: facebook.com/Stumpy-Nubs-Woodworking-Journal-305639859477973/ (If you use one of these affiliate links, we may receive a small commission) ★SOME OF MY FAVORITE CHEAP TOOLS★ -123 Blocks: lddy.no/vpij -Mechanical Pencils: amzn.to/2PA7bwK -Lumber pencil: amzn.to/2QtwZjv -Pocket Measuring Tape: amzn.to/2kNTlI9 -Irwin Drill Bit Gauge: amzn.to/2AwTkQg -Nut/Bolt/Screw Gauge: amzn.to/2CuvxSK -Self-Centering Punch: amzn.to/2QvbcrC -Self-Centering Bits: amzn.to/2xs71UW -Angle Cube: lddy.no/10nam -Steel Ruler: lddy.no/10mv7 -Utility knife: amzn.to/3nfhIiv -Center-Finding Ruler: lddy.no/10nak -Bit & Blade Cleaner: amzn.to/2TfvEOI -Digital depth gauge: amzn.to/3mwRf2x -Wood Glue: amzn.to/3mqek6M -Spade Bits: amzn.to/3j8XPtD ★SOME OF MY FAVORITE HAND TOOLS★ -Digital Caliper: amzn.to/384H1Or -Marking Gauge: lddy.no/10muz -Marking knife: lddy.no/10mv0 -Narex Chisels: lddy.no/sqm3 -Stanley Sweetheart Chisels: amzn.to/3y5HDOc -Mini Pull Saw: amzn.to/2UEHBz6 -Gent Saw: lddy.no/ss2x -Coping saw: amzn.to/2W7ZiUS -Shinwa Rulers: lddy.no/zl13 ★SOME OF MY FAVORITE POWER TOOLS★ -Miter Saw: amzn.to/3gqIlQ8 -Jointer: amzn.to/3yc3gfZ -Planer: amzn.to/3mn6BGF -Router: amzn.to/3grD22S -Sander: amzn.to/3DdvD0Y -Cordless drill: amzn.to/3D9ZiIm -Brad nailer: amzn.to/3gsRkjH -Mini Compressor: amzn.to/3mvrmQr -Bladerunner: amzn.to/2Wl0TtJ -Jig Saw: amzn.to/3zetTBY -Scroll Saw: amzn.to/3gq9qDc -Multi-Tool: amzn.to/3muZuMi ★SOME OF MY FAVORITE OTHER TOOLS★ -Drill Bits: amzn.to/3B8Ckzh -Forstner Bits: amzn.to/3kk3wEI -Shop Vacuum: amzn.to/3yfLLLA -Machine Setup Blocks: amzn.to/3gq7kDh -Counter-Sink Bit: amzn.to/37ZukUo -Featherboard: amzn.to/3DeqHsq -ISOtunes Hearing Protection (Save $10): bit.ly/3BHYdH7 (If you use one of the affiliate links above, we may receive a small commission)

@choochoo2348

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the great idea to make my job easier and faster ❗️❗️❗️

@babboon5764

2 жыл бұрын

Useful

@jonnyt2381

2 жыл бұрын

I just saw both your videos on the DIY floating shelves and this one and now I'm wondering when and why to choose one over the other. Just from looking at it and thinking of the ease of building one myself I think I'd choose the french one. But can you tell me your position on this one, some pros and cons? I would be very happy hearing from you!

@animalbeats

2 жыл бұрын

Are you using partial board with formaldehyde?

@damnhandy

2 жыл бұрын

@@animalbeatsMe, no. It's been a while. I haven't hammered a nail, screwed a single thing, or sucked in anything I shouldn't except my dear wife in decades. I'm still 20th Century, which I helped build.

The "half width + half thickness" tip is beyond invaluable to people like me who are spatially challenged! Thanks so much.

@drewberrynews3875

2 жыл бұрын

yeah that's a gem i learned from this vid. It's easier for me to remember if I subtract the full thickness and the divide the board in half.

@JBV-vb4dq

2 жыл бұрын

besure to take the saw blade width into account. normally 1/8th so you'd have to add 1/16th over and be left with 2" 5/16th each piece.

@martys9972

2 жыл бұрын

If you use this tip, be sure to use a bevel angle of 45 degrees exactly, not approximately.

@jonathanalexander9562

2 жыл бұрын

@@JBV-vb4dq Hi, I'm not sure if I fully understand. His board is 6" long, and 3/4th thick, and we'll assume the sawblade's thickness is the usual 1/8th. He subtracts half of the length, which is 3", then half of the thickness of the board, which is 3/8th, and so he ends up at 2" 5/8th. You say to take half of the sawblade's thickness, 1/16th, and add it to the end result, right? Going either way, from 2" 5/8th, subtracting or adding 1/16th, you'd end up at either 2" 9/16th or 2" 11/16th, correct? I don't see how you end up with 2" 5/16th. I know you've got to be right in accounting for the blade's thickness, but something feels off. Could you please clarify?

@josecanales2978

2 жыл бұрын

@@jonathanalexander9562 yea his math threw me off

I've seen dozens and dozens of French Cleat videos over the years. This is the first one ever to explain how to find the middle of a board for an angled rip cut. Before, I've measured and marked the middle, then used my speed square to find the 45° intersection, and fudged around with my fence for the cut. This formula is so much quicker and easier.

@joshuac1364

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, and so simple too! I just cut my peices oversized and had some waste to deal with. Using this next time.

@Casey-511

2 жыл бұрын

Duuuuuuude!!!! This just change the way I do the cleats. Even my wife was wide eyed at how easy this method made finding the center. :-)

@JP-mq7pg

2 жыл бұрын

Check out Chris over At a Glimpse Inside, he shared the formula quite some time ago and as of a couple of days ago shared it again. He goes as far a subtracting half the blade kerf.

@AlexCue

2 жыл бұрын

Yep this was the game changer for me!

@stevet47

2 жыл бұрын

Yup, that tip was definitely worth more than the price of admission!

I’m a professional cabinet guy, and the problem with cleats is that walls are rarely flat. They have humps and bumps, and when a cleat system encounters these, the alignment advantages go out the window, and you spend a lot of time trying to figure out what went wrong. Here’s a simpler way to hang cupboards, if your working alone and don’t have cabinet jacks, etc.: screw a temporary strip of wood along the wall where the bottom of the cabinet will be. This will carry the weight, hold the position while you screw the carcass to the wall.

@texxs01

2 жыл бұрын

just add a shim if you really need to. French cleats are very forgiving though they typically make up for these variance better than the back of a cabinet imo.

@drasco61084

2 жыл бұрын

I guess one could test it out taking six foot long level or other straight not too flexible long object to get an idea of how flat their wall is before trying this. You also don't want it to extend too far away from the wall by adding spacers because the forces increase and make it more prone to failure. Cabinets already kinda make me nervous as it is 🤣 just chillin there full of dishes and jars of food. But I guess the way they are constructed and using the right fasteners makes it strong.

@christianbarnay2499

2 жыл бұрын

Removing the cleats won't magically flatten the wall. If this is a problem with cleats it's the same problem without.

@danielrose1392

2 жыл бұрын

@@christianbarnay2499 Other systems won't magically fix your problems, but french cleat could cause additional issues. An uneven wall might prevent your cabinet from fully seating in the cleat, also causing height differences.

@christianbarnay2499

2 жыл бұрын

@@danielrose1392 Only if you force the cleat against the uneven wall. If you cut your cleat straight and place it along the wall with no pressure it will automatically show you the gaps and allow easy measurement to cut spacers for your screws.

I like to trim the point off the cleat, just a couple mm, helps the cleat lock in tighter. The small imperfections in the wall can prevent it from sitting all the way into the cleat otherwise.

@papapetad

2 жыл бұрын

Nice tip. Surprised it didn't get covered in the video considering how useful it is.

I've been using french cleats for decades and the method continues to be my favorite way to hang cabinets. Don't be afraid to shim the wall cleat out from low spots in the wall surface. This will make hanging and joining multiple boxes much easier. A trick I use is to stretch a string line along a very long cleat to ensure it's nice and straight. Additionally, there are commercially available extruded aluminum cleat systems that have a much thinner profile. The aluminum cleats are used in commercial applications and are great problem solvers, especially in metal stud framed walls. Next time you're on an elevator that has nice interior panels, take a close look at the edge of the panel as the door opens, and you'll see it. Great job, Stumpy!

@debluetailfly

2 жыл бұрын

I ran into the bowed wall problem when I attached an antique solid pine cabinet to a wall. The cleat on the cabinet was straight, but the cleat on the wall had to be shimmed a bit for the cleats to interlock. I have plans to make some more cabinets to be hung by the FC system. One end of the old cabinet has lead in it, which I think is a bullet. From looking at the end grain, the tree was harvested a hundred years or so after the bullet lodged in the tree. Part of it was cut away at the sawmill and planing mill. Looks like a knot at first glance. Wish that bullet could tell the story of how and when it got there.

@jim7smith

2 жыл бұрын

@@debluetailfly yep...a lot of old things could tell stories and more stories.

@sincerelyyours7538

2 жыл бұрын

@@debluetailfly I once bought a used VW beetle that had a bullet hole in a fender. Didn't know it until two years later when I repainted the car. Someone in its past had shot out the left front tire, filled the hole with Bondo and did a crap job repainting the car in order to sell it and hide his crime. As you say, the stories things can tell...

This is one of the best carpentry channels on the internet. No stupid fluff just well presented information, explained simply and completely. Thanks so much!

@Overfl00d

2 жыл бұрын

@J Hemphill God bless your little heart.

@Overfl00d

2 жыл бұрын

@J Hemphill God bless you big man.

Wow!!! First video on you tube to actually tell you how to cut a cleat down the middle. Thank you so much.

@pterodox123

2 жыл бұрын

So good

@AGlimpseInside

2 жыл бұрын

To get it truly in half you have to take half of the Kerf of the blade as well. I documented this on my channel previous videos

@davidward5968

2 жыл бұрын

Can't believe its so easy to do it this way. So informative.

@alenmijic2745

2 жыл бұрын

@@davidward5968 I remember the first time I tried "cutting down the middle". So much wasted wood.

"Oh, why would I want to watch a woodworking video..." "Okay, that is literally the best thing I have seen all day. :like:"

I have twenty year-old cabinets in my laundry room that are falling apart that I have been avoiding replacing because of the installation. NOW I know what I am going to do. Thank you SO much

As always clear and simple advice with no nonsense and all the relevant information. Many people may know but fewer seem able to teach and that is a skill worth it’s weight. Thanks bro.

This is the first I heard of French Cleats. Wow! Not only useful, it is in my skill level. And my wife has a cabinet she wants to hang. Thank you.

@nemo227

2 жыл бұрын

And you'd better get to it. When she praises you, just say, "That's why you married me."

I work in construction, many times we have taken down old cabinets and installed new ones for our clients. What I’ve noticed is the millworkers will use 3” strips of plywood without the bevel more than they use the bevel style. It still holds them in place so they can be screwed but I personally would trust the stability of the bevel style. The one benefit of using the non-bevel cleat is to have the cabinets all the way flush to the ceiling.

Just discovered this use for french cleats a couple weeks ago installing cabinets build by a shop in Florida. Was truely a lightbulb moment when I realized what a game changer it really was for me

From a carpentry perspective, even when installing high end custom cabinetry which is dead flat and square, often the buildings surfaces are not square, level, plumb, or flat. French cleats may get you part of the way, but make shimming and tweaking surfaces that much more difficult. Especially in historic homes which have lath and plaster wall coverings, and where custom trim panels and covers are used to scribe the imperfections in the walls. Thank you for the great overview video, great reminder to use these where possible.

I'm always impressed with the fluency of delivery that James Hamilton possesses. Never an 'um' or an 'ah', just perfect clarity of message and the message always worth hearing.

My first encounter with French cleats was in museums. I used to work with exhibit designers, and they would often specify French cleats to hang heavy display cabinets and artifacts on exhibit walls. Not only were they sturdy, but they allowed the exhibits to be removed easily for cleaning, updating, or to access wiring and other utilities hidden in the wall. It's no wonder French cleats are so popular. They're really versatile.

I had always thought the French cleats were a Shaker thing. How they mounted their huge wardrobes on either side of the large hallways in the classic shaker houses. They build everything to last and be secure. Well used, French cleats allow change while being secure. A French cleat around a room allows you to hang paintings and make cabinets and shelves safe from tipping over.

I have reached the end of every Stumpy Nubs video and found myself compelled to give it a thumbs up rating. Now I know that there are multiple ways to do nearly everything, but James Hamilton ALWAYS pick a fine solution to the problem being addressed and shares it so very well.

Great video. The most sincere complement…. I was disappointed when it ended! Thanks again for useful information that I will use!!

I love french cleats. I used them for the floating bookshelves in my daughter’s room and the floating headboard in our master bedroom.

@peggyraun-linde6336

2 жыл бұрын

Awesome. I want to make this also. How wide did you make the cleat and how thick was the board shelf?

@peterjf7723

2 жыл бұрын

I have used french cleats for hanging kitchen and workshop cabinets in my last couple of homes in England, also for hanging the home cinema screen.

Just when I was getting ready to build some cabinets for my shop this video pops up. I have been on the fence about how I'm going to mount them to the wall and now I know exactly what I'll use! The French cleat system is amazing and this video was very informative. I thank you very much for doing it Stumpy! The tip about being able to rip a board exactly in half for a French cleat is definitely a gold nugget!! Thank you again sir!!

I love French cleats and I use them all the time and didn't think that this video would teach me anything. I'm glad I watched. Even if I don't use anything directly from it, it's getting me to think outside of the box a little bit which is equally as useful to me. Good stuff as usual 👍🏾. This is coming from Grenada, West Indies btw.

@Oneshot8242

2 жыл бұрын

You're the first poster I've ever seen from those beautiful islands! I biked around the big island in 89' and fell in love with everything. Best wishes from Denmark!

So glad you posted these designs, thank you 🙏

Outstanding information about improvements in the french cleat system. Thanks.

I remodeled some shop cabinet system using French cleats a few years ago. And you are right! Very few (I found none at the time) mentioned the gap or ways to deal with it. After a few mishaps and problems I added the bottom spacer you showed now. Much better results. You have probably saved someone else from picking up his items from the floor. Thanks

*An unmentioned benefit of this* - I was trying to figure out the best way to hang some old 3' by 3' cabinets strong enough that they wouldn't fall apart or pull from the wall when I loaded them up. I was already going to run a 2x3 under the cabinets to take almost all of the vertical weight, but needed a way to keep them from tilting forward - a cleat at the top, 1 ft. down, and 2 ft. down, held with 2 screws per cabinet side (12 screws per cabinet), and 2 more screws per cabinet to the wall to keep them from getting bumped up, will be more than strong enough, and a lot easier than anything else I was considering.

I installed French cleats in my garage and my (tiny) basement workshop a couple of years ago. It’s great when I need to move tool storage for projects with the change of seasons. Your tips gave me even more ideas. Great channel!

This is the first I have heard of this, and I love it. Will try it out when I remodel my kitchen next year.

Hello James, I just want to say thank you for these amazing contests. I'm a new woodworker myself and really helped by your channel 👍👍 Keep up the awesome work!

When I moved into my house 8 years ago I put french cleats on two entire walls. It's been fantastic. On the opposite wall I hung two large cabinets that hold a lot of weight. Works great as well. Go Cleats!

That's such a simple and useful middle finding trick. Thank you!

Thanks, watching you clearly explaining this subject is actually a great stress relief. You are a superb host, better than the good old boys from this old house and anywhere else.

I got a massive blackboard for doing my math masters, and I spent weeks trying to figure out how to put it on the wall. I ended up using some Z-bar, but now I know what this mounting style is called. Thanks!

James you really are the number one woodworking channel for genuinely useful information lately. You have changed my approach to multiple workshop functions in a highly positive way. You are what we Kiwis describe as 'good value'. Even if you still use rods, palms, cubits to measure stuff. 13/64ths of a furlong @ 21 groats per league, worked out on a slide rule, is so yesteryear.

@joshuac1364

2 жыл бұрын

Are you using metric? I always think about switching but my brain is so used to ridiculous fractions now 😂

@ohgary

2 жыл бұрын

Remember we inherited this measuring system from the Brits. The ancient Egyptians built everything using cubits…

@croe5357

2 жыл бұрын

I've been meaning to make the switch myself. But the metric system does not have a unit capable of measuring freedom.

@46sixteen

2 жыл бұрын

@@croe5357 The metric system itself is a unit of freedom. Freedom from fractions, freedom from division 😉 Of course being out by a factor of 10 every time you make a mistake will ruin your day...

@Rodbuilder109

2 жыл бұрын

Great video. The best one I've seen on KZread about French cleats.

I love these videos. I can learn so much in 4 videos over 20 minutes than many other channels that spend quite a bit of time on one topic. While I respect and even enjoy the latter, the former is also appreciated. Thank you.

Lot's of good advice. All of them are simple common sense, yet very effective.

The French are genius! We Cajuns tried to introduce a similar system using our expertise for crafting things out of whatever is available. However, it turns out baguettes don't hold much weight beyond fried oysters and some condiments... but I digress. Great video James! Keep 'em coming!

@jenniferwhitewolf3784

2 жыл бұрын

I'll be there shortly to help test the baguette and fried stuff system... I think it needs more testing, lots of testing😁🙋.

@moonbeamjones9888

2 жыл бұрын

Best reply ever

@mikes1345

2 жыл бұрын

Leave to a cajun to turn a French cleat into something delicious!! Made me drool thinking about cajun fried Gulf oysters. I'm gaining weight thinking about it.

@jwar2163

2 жыл бұрын

I laughed so had almost pissed myself thanks for the comment Pawpaw Stew. I had some of that there Cajun Coffee with baguettes years ago and the coffee held a fork straight up in the center of the coffee cup fairly well.

@marquisbois990

2 жыл бұрын

In France, we call them taquet-frites.

Great technique, I've been using this for years installing cabinets and things like large framed mirrors etc. I think I got it from Norm Abrams.

Fantastic video! Thank you! I was glad you covered the different ways to hide the cleat by building it flush. You made this really understandable and simple.

Thanks for your great videos! I appreciate the fact that you don’t have a bunch of “jump cuts” in your videos and you can explain clearly an idea without editing over and over. Well done. My “go to” videos for woodworking!

I install overhead bins and cabinets on walls everyday in the office furniture field. Cleats are mandatory. Our rule is minimum we hit at least 2 studs plus 3 X 250 lbs wall anchors per cleat. That way the only way the cabinet can ever come off the wall is if the actual wall / drywall fails.

I've watched a lot of cabinetry construction and cabinetry installation videos. I've never seen one where they used French Cleats and always wondered why. I thought I may have been overstating the capabilities of French Cleats. Thanks for the information, as always, James.

I first ran into French cleats when outfitting our basement suite with inexpensive kitchen cabinets 20 years ago. I have been a big fan ever since!

Very solid recommendation for the use of French cleat, thank you for sharing, stay warm, safe, happy and healthy. From Henrico County Virginia

I've used French Cleats and come to the conclusion that ideally the acute angle of the bevel should less than forty-five degrees. Forty or 35 provides a longer friction surface on the bevel and there times - I built a rack for hammers - that the extra works very well. Even with a spacer, the weight of the hammers in the rack caused it to actually "climb" out of position. Believe, there's nothing like a rack full of hammers falling on you to lead to serious thought about the design.

@AlexCue

2 жыл бұрын

I noticed this as well, mainly on my clamp rack (which was the heaviest tool holder on my cleat wall). Next time I'll make the angle closer to 35 or so for sure. It will also hopefully reduce chipping along the edge. Despite plywood's alternating grains, at 45° the tip may just be a single ply which is easy to damage.

@peggyraun-linde6336

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing. Good info

Thanks James, really enjoy your very informative videos. My first job, almost sixty years ago, was as a designer for a company that built exhibits for museums and trade shows. Back then we called these cleats “jam cleats” They were used to hang exhibit panels. I’ve used them to hang custom cabinets, book shelves, and wall sculpture.

Just made my first ever kitchen cabinet this week and I used a French cleat. I am feeling pretty smug right now but I am sure that smug will not last forever on this rookies face!!!

I had no idea there was any other way to hang a cabinet. How would the whole "hold 'er up, I'm tryin' to get 'er level" thing work? Seems like a good way to start a fight

I used French cleats to hang a murphy computer desk in my room just the other day. It makes hanging things up on the wall just so much easier.

@jim7smith

2 жыл бұрын

I would like to know more about the murphy computer desk.

@ossieljuarez1936

2 жыл бұрын

@@jim7smith its a box that hangs on a French cleat. The front of it folds down using a piano hinge. There are chains in each corn that help keep it level. I would post pictures of it, but I don't think you can do that here. So if you google murphy computer desk, there will be alot of examples.

I never thought of this hanging method. What a great idea! Thank you.

Glad to have discovered the channel - great tips presented in an accessible way.

Always fun seeing my French cleat wall make a cameo in other videos!

@ImurTuta

2 жыл бұрын

Lol I knew that was your cleat wall! I watched you build it. I've made plenty of things in my house using French cleats but I have yet to build a cleat organization wall in my shop...I procrastinat🤦‍♂️

@andrewa8569

2 жыл бұрын

To be fair when it comes to woodworking someone has made it a hundred times before you and a hundred after with little tweaks here and there. Ideas are built ontop of other ideas

I've always hung cabinets with French cleats. I wonder about the sanity of those that don't use them.

The trick for cutting down the middle is one I’ll use in the future for sure. Thanks!

Hung a huge 'n heavy salvaged cabinet in my shop using these 8 yrs ago, still rock solid. Every time I open a smaller one I just screwed to the studs I wish I'd used cleats. Much neater install. Thanks for the measuring-the-rip tip.

Thank you! I have French cleats in my basement shop, but I now have some great ideas for a mix-match (mis-match?) of kitchen cabinets. Even for hanging a really large and heavy painting on wood panel.

What an excellent video! I began woodworking back in the early 70's. Later, in the 80's I got a job that required a lot of travel. My love of cabinetmaking had me admiring different kinds of furniture on the road. My first exposure with the French Cleat system came from the way hotels hung headboards for their beds.

Great tips, I have not thought about using French cleats for cabinets in the house or office.

You are the master of pointing the most obvious and simple stuff in a really useful and pleasant way

I used French Cleats to hang my cabinets in my workshop months ago. Pretty cool seeing this video now.

Once again you manage to throw some wisdom into your video on a subject that so many others have already covered. The "half and half" tip is awesome!!! Keep it rolling and thanks for making and sharing these videos. Take care and have a good one, Adios! 🖐

Great video Stumpy Nubs. I learned something new about finding the center of a board that is being bevel cut. THIS is a valuable tip for any beginner. Thank you.

I use them all the time. So many applications. Great vid by the way.

This is just a great concise video on a topic that everyone already "knows". thanks stumpy

I'll soon be converting a garage into a workshop and this has given me a lot of ideas. One benefit that should be stressed is how much easier this makes it for a single person to hang heavy cabinets without assistance. Many thanks!

I was considering using a French cleat to hang a cabinet in my office just a few days ago, and after watching this video, I will be using that method for sure. I didn't know what it was called, but I should have realized that there was a pre-existing method. Funny how the right information can come along at just the right time.

I'll use this with my shop class. BIG thank you.

I like this idea. The first this I built for the house was a shelf pantry for canned goods that fit behind the door of our laundry room door. I used a French cleat to hang it because I was working by my self. Great method for solo work.

Every minute in this video was worth watching. Thanks James.

This will help me tremendously in the future. Thanks.

This is simply fantastic.

I use French Cleats to attach fireplace mantels for customers. For some of the really heavy ones I have used extruded metal cleats instead of plywood (a great point you made here). They solve every problem I faced with the first installation and now it’s just part of the design.

As a professional cabinet maker I would dado in my back panels 3/4” in from the back of the cabinet to hide my construction rails. When doing wall cabinets I just simply replaced the top constitution rail with a 45 mitered rail for use as a dovetail cleat. Then I would include an additional dovetail rail 3/4” shorter in length to mount on the wall. ( the 3/4” difference is to allow the cabinet to be shifted side to side on the wall allowing for a better fit.) Pro tip: One simple screw thru the back panel into the cleat mounted on the wall will lock the cabinet into place and keep it from shifting and coming off the wall. Perfect for use with small light cabinets in high traffic areas.

I had found a singe segment of an antique stacking barristers bookcase that I wanted to make into storage over the TV. It was built for stacking and was too flimsy to hang. I lined the back with plywood, making a cleat at the top and solved both issues. It served our family for many years. Thanks for sharing, I think a lot of us overlook this tool.

What an excellent video. Perfect length, very clear information, basically not a word wasted. Well done, sir.

Simple subject presented perfectly. Thanks

You are such a rich source of information for me, new woodworker, I learned a lot from this video and the comments below. Thank you.

Up until a few years ago I only ever thought of French cleats as the way I learned to hang upper cabinets 30 years ago when I worked in cabinet shops. After my time at those shops, I also used them to hang art installations. Thanks to KZread, my perspective has expanded again - I am rebuilding my shop as we speak (literally sitting in the middle of it as I type this), and French cleats will be on 3 of my 4 walls!

You save my day in the retrofit of some old kitchen cabinets. Thanks buddy.

Thank you so much. This solves a lot for me.

I just finished a kitchen remodel and surprised everyone with the use of the French cleat. It sure made hanging the cabinets easy.

The best way to hang cabinets. So many advantages. Easy to run wiring for under cabinet lights.

I have a very large, and extremely heavy, framed mirror. I've been nervous each time I hung it, because the typical drywall anchors eventually started to work their way out. We're in a new house and I was racking my brain about how to mount it, when I remembered having seen this video a while back and eureka! Thanks for the rescue!

This video was a real eye-opener for fixing things to walls. Thank you!

your concise clarity and accuracy with language always impresses me

Great tip on finding the center of the angle cut!

James I've seen other french cleats vids much longer and not nar as informative as yours! I appreciate what you do and thank you!

I use them whenever I have something heavy to hang. Or not... I used them for a pair of walnut framed mirrors in my bathroom. I cant believe there haven't been more videos about it. I recess the back of the cabinet so the frame envelopes the cleat and completely hides it. I see you covered that. Great content!

Fabulous video, thank you! I love French cleats. I use them all the time when mounting heavy wall panel sculptures. I drive lag bolts into studs to hold the cleat onto the wall, and use wood glue and screws to adhere the other cleat to the back of the panel. I think French cleats are one of the strongest, easiest hanging solutions for problems like this.

This is excellent timing as I am planning to make mounts around a room for my camera, so I can change angles depending on what I do. I planned on making it differently, but this makes less of a mark on the wall, and is much easier to make.

bevel block, pinch cleat....exhibit industry has been using for years! great detail, thanks.

So simple but so effective. Thanks, I wish I had seen your video sooner.

As a home DIYer I wish I knew about this technique years ago ... thanks for the knowledge, it is clear and concise

I think this may be the best woodworking channel I’ve seen. Great teacher and use of animation.

A needed a french cleat once to hang a heavy mirror. I'm wood-working-challenged, so while at the big box store, I had great idea: Shiplap! I bought one piece, cut it in half, and used it as a french cleat! Worked like a charm.

For Christmas I received a nice piece of art. I instantly knew this is how I would put it on the wall.

This video came at a perfect time. Thank you!

As always great info! I gutted the kitchen in my old house (20-yrs ago) and built all the kitchen cabinets from 3/4" plywood. French cleats was the best way to level and hang the upper cabinets by myself. The plaster was very uneven, out of plumb so once the strips were leveled and plumbed handing the cabinet was a breeze.

Very good video, never heard of the French cleat before, thank you