How a French cleat changed everything!

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  • Опубликовано: 4 фев 2025

Комментарии • 976

  • @StumpyNubs
    @StumpyNubs  3 года назад +39

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    • @choochoo2348
      @choochoo2348 3 года назад +1

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

    • @babboon5764
      @babboon5764 3 года назад

      Useful

    • @jonnyt2381
      @jonnyt2381 3 года назад

      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
      @animalbeats 3 года назад

      Are you using partial board with formaldehyde?

    • @damnhandy
      @damnhandy 3 года назад

      @@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.

  • @dustisamust5602
    @dustisamust5602 3 года назад +635

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

    • @drewberrynews3875
      @drewberrynews3875 3 года назад +6

      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
      @JBV-vb4dq 3 года назад +18

      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
      @martys9972 3 года назад +4

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

    • @jonathanalexander9562
      @jonathanalexander9562 3 года назад +7

      @@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
      @josecanales2978 3 года назад +1

      @@jonathanalexander9562 yea his math threw me off

  • @ErictheHalf_bee
    @ErictheHalf_bee 3 года назад +299

    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
      @joshuac1364 3 года назад +2

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

    • @Casey-511
      @Casey-511 3 года назад +4

      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
      @JP-mq7pg 3 года назад +9

      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
      @AlexCue 3 года назад

      Yep this was the game changer for me!

    • @stevet47
      @stevet47 3 года назад +3

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

  • @thomaskokontis5795
    @thomaskokontis5795 3 года назад +287

    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
      @texxs01 3 года назад +38

      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
      @drasco61084 3 года назад +19

      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
      @christianbarnay2499 3 года назад +49

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

    • @danielrose1392
      @danielrose1392 3 года назад +17

      @@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
      @christianbarnay2499 3 года назад +32

      @@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.

  • @ZoeSummers1701A
    @ZoeSummers1701A 3 года назад +78

    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
      @Overfl00d 3 года назад +1

      @J Hemphill God bless your little heart.

    • @Overfl00d
      @Overfl00d 3 года назад +2

      @J Hemphill God bless you big man.

    • @HardDeck1970
      @HardDeck1970 5 месяцев назад

      I clicked on it expecting it to be the 20+ minutes like every other vid I searched this morning. Was pleasantly surprised lol

  • @shadowman453
    @shadowman453 3 года назад +27

    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
      @papapetad 3 года назад +1

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

  • @alenmijic2745
    @alenmijic2745 3 года назад +46

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

    • @pterodox123
      @pterodox123 3 года назад

      So good

    • @AGlimpseInside
      @AGlimpseInside 3 года назад +1

      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
      @davidward5968 3 года назад

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

    • @alenmijic2745
      @alenmijic2745 3 года назад

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

  • @jedsudweeks6676
    @jedsudweeks6676 3 года назад +77

    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
      @debluetailfly 3 года назад +10

      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
      @jim7smith 3 года назад +1

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

    • @sincerelyyours7538
      @sincerelyyours7538 3 года назад

      @@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...

  • @The-Real-Ando
    @The-Real-Ando 3 года назад +49

    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.

  • @murrayc9615
    @murrayc9615 3 года назад +7

    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

  • @MrMarkpeggy
    @MrMarkpeggy 3 года назад +1

    Thanks for the great video James 👍

  • @bryangoodwin6579
    @bryangoodwin6579 3 года назад +4

    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.

  • @loydjenkins2241
    @loydjenkins2241 3 года назад +1

    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
      @nemo227 3 года назад

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

  • @NastierNate
    @NastierNate 3 года назад +6

    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
      @peggyraun-linde6336 3 года назад

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

    • @peterjf7723
      @peterjf7723 3 года назад

      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.

  • @christopherwheeler688
    @christopherwheeler688 3 года назад +1

    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.

  • @musikSkool
    @musikSkool 3 года назад +19

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

  • @NajRellim
    @NajRellim Год назад

    This is the Best Explanation of not only how to make and use French Cleats, but also how to rip them! Stumpy Nubs Is THE BEST!!!!

  • @ASR_385
    @ASR_385 3 года назад +4

    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.

  • @willehster
    @willehster 3 года назад

    your concise clarity and accuracy with language always impresses me

  • @pawpawstew
    @pawpawstew 3 года назад +57

    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
      @jenniferwhitewolf3784 3 года назад +6

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

    • @moonbeamjones9888
      @moonbeamjones9888 3 года назад +1

      Best reply ever

    • @mikes1345
      @mikes1345 3 года назад +3

      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
      @jwar2163 3 года назад +2

      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
      @marquisbois990 3 года назад +2

      In France, we call them taquet-frites.

  • @asmith7876
    @asmith7876 3 года назад

    We had a house built in 1953 with metal kitchen cabinets. There were hung using this technique but with metal plates screwed to the wall. I'd never imagined such a thing but does seem brilliant.

  • @TrevorDennis100
    @TrevorDennis100 3 года назад +62

    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
      @joshuac1364 3 года назад +3

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

    • @ohgary
      @ohgary 3 года назад +1

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

    • @croe5357
      @croe5357 3 года назад +7

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

    • @46sixteen
      @46sixteen 3 года назад +9

      @@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
      @Rodbuilder109 3 года назад +1

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

  • @dalemonaco
    @dalemonaco 3 года назад

    I used to install art at large museum and we used french cleats for all kinds of things, even large sculptures!

  • @dustydarkhorse
    @dustydarkhorse 3 года назад +7

    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

  • @philburch1970
    @philburch1970 3 года назад

    Absolutely love the computer setup at 2:22

  • @1SCme
    @1SCme 3 года назад +3

    *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.

  • @jgreenturkey2
    @jgreenturkey2 3 года назад

    That calculation for splitting a bevel cut down the center is super useful

  • @coreygrua3271
    @coreygrua3271 3 года назад +8

    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.

  • @subliteral1380
    @subliteral1380 3 года назад +1

    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.

  • @joeyleerobbins
    @joeyleerobbins 3 года назад +4

    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!!

  • @Redpitbull44
    @Redpitbull44 3 года назад +1

    Dude.
    Listen.
    I just want you to know I think your content and delivery are both absolutely spectacular. You ROCK. Keep it up.

  • @tremor360
    @tremor360 3 года назад +14

    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
      @Oneshot8242 3 года назад +2

      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!

  • @francoisbouvier7861
    @francoisbouvier7861 11 месяцев назад

    I started my apprenticeship in the early 70's. I was given the task of demoing a floor in a high rise in Calgary. I started and was shortly introduced to French cleats. Thank you, Patella Millwork. Guess how long I've been using employing FC..

  • @0UR0US
    @0UR0US 3 года назад +3

    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!

  • @bobc35
    @bobc35 3 года назад

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

  • @BenTardif
    @BenTardif 3 года назад +41

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

    • @ImurTuta
      @ImurTuta 3 года назад

      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
      @andrewa8569 3 года назад +2

      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

  • @charliedee9276
    @charliedee9276 3 года назад

    Finding the true center of the board to cut the bezel was slick, all this time I have been marking it and eyeballing the blade point of contact. Subbed just for that.

  • @BobStrawn
    @BobStrawn 3 года назад +3

    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.

  • @johnchamberlain5435
    @johnchamberlain5435 Год назад

    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!

  • @kerrygibbs8198
    @kerrygibbs8198 3 года назад +3

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

  • @snappi1974
    @snappi1974 2 года назад

    Hi Brian from Denmark here. In Denmark, we install all kitchen upper cabinets with French cleats. We have done it for years and it is the standard way of fitting kitchen cabinets in Denmark today.

  • @jparra4766
    @jparra4766 3 года назад +5

    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!

  • @WPGinfo
    @WPGinfo 3 года назад

    Nice topic. 2:30 The obvious & much used method is to move the backpanel inward [the thickness of the cleat] to make room for the cleat to slot into the back of the cabinet. Now attach the matching half to the wall, without the need for spacers.

  • @georgelackey622
    @georgelackey622 3 года назад +6

    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.

  • @befmx31
    @befmx31 3 года назад

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

  • @mikes1345
    @mikes1345 3 года назад +3

    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

  • @russellmoore8187
    @russellmoore8187 3 года назад

    Oh whoa, I only knew about French cleats for cabinets haha - I love this cleat wall idea

  • @mychalevenson7710
    @mychalevenson7710 3 года назад +13

    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.

  • @naturalimagesbyadam
    @naturalimagesbyadam 3 года назад

    Half the width, Half the thickness 4:42 Thank You!!! You just saved me so much time

  • @goredzilla
    @goredzilla 3 года назад +4

    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.

  • @aldreymenezes7652
    @aldreymenezes7652 3 года назад

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

  • @ossieljuarez1936
    @ossieljuarez1936 3 года назад +3

    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
      @jim7smith 3 года назад

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

    • @ossieljuarez1936
      @ossieljuarez1936 3 года назад

      @@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.

  • @dallassukerkin6878
    @dallassukerkin6878 3 года назад

    I have a kitchen where no surface is flat and level ... I have despaired of ever getting a fitted kitchen that is not all out of square ... now I think I see a way! Thank you, sir.

  • @theeddorian
    @theeddorian 3 года назад +5

    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
      @AlexCue 3 года назад +2

      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
      @peggyraun-linde6336 3 года назад +1

      Thanks for sharing. Good info

  • @jonnyjazzz
    @jonnyjazzz 3 года назад

    I.... cannot believe I've never heard of these before.... Time to redo all my wall space in my shop and shed with these cleats.

  • @TonyHammitt
    @TonyHammitt 3 года назад +8

    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

  • @DahCrafters
    @DahCrafters 3 года назад

    Ive been working in the cabinet industry (both commercial and residential) for 7 years. I have never hung a cabinet without French cleat. They are such a life saver when it comes to heavy particle board and laminate cabinets. The best thing we have done to hide the French cleat was to dado a ¼" groove ¾" from the back on the inside of the sides and bottom of the cabinet. Slide a ¼" piece plywood of your choice as a backing. Insert cleat between sides of the cabinet with a notch under like shown in this video. No notch for the finished ends, butting right up to cleat on the wall.

  • @mr.receipts62
    @mr.receipts62 10 месяцев назад

    This man is a national treasure. Keep posting fantastic videos, and I’ll keep watching.

  • @criswilson1140
    @criswilson1140 3 года назад +3

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

  • @caseywhite8969
    @caseywhite8969 2 года назад

    One of if not the best carpentry channels on RUclips

  • @tfed315
    @tfed315 3 года назад

    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.

  • @ildefonsogiron4034
    @ildefonsogiron4034 3 года назад

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

  • @laernulienlaernulienlaernu8953
    @laernulienlaernulienlaernu8953 3 года назад +1

    Plus you can fix into each stud if it's a stud wall, whereas individual fixing points on cabinets might not line up with the studs.

  • @djzman
    @djzman 3 года назад

    We was taught this in highschool back in teh early 80s in woodshop class.
    But our teacher called them a French bracket
    So i have been using them now for over 37 years it sure makes it easy to hang things even photos.

  • @jasondelgado1776
    @jasondelgado1776 3 года назад

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

  • @WTDoorley
    @WTDoorley Год назад +1

    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.

  • @djsnowman06
    @djsnowman06 3 года назад

    I made a flatscreen wall mount out of scrap i had laying around using french cleats. Easy project that saved me a little dough

  • @swordguy8
    @swordguy8 3 года назад

    As someone who has been hemming and hawing about how to hang my cabinets, this video has come to the rescue!

  • @misterswegler7245
    @misterswegler7245 3 года назад

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

  • @johncollado1151
    @johncollado1151 Год назад

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

  • @thomask4836
    @thomask4836 3 года назад +1

    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.

  • @RaiyanKamal
    @RaiyanKamal 3 года назад

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

  • @swoodward9792
    @swoodward9792 3 года назад

    Great tip on finding the center on the bevel cut

  • @gaslitgames
    @gaslitgames 3 года назад

    I dont quite have the space or time/energy for woodworking, but I really appreciate the aesthetic of a well laid out woodworking shop. I hope one day to find those things.

  • @jimblack6733
    @jimblack6733 3 года назад

    I just built a wall cabinet and was concerned about hanging it by myself. The French cleat saved the day. Thanks James for the reminder

  • @jerbear7952
    @jerbear7952 10 месяцев назад

    You are an excellent steward of the wood working teacher role

  • @dougjohnson3426
    @dougjohnson3426 3 года назад

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

  • @Colorado-Tinkering
    @Colorado-Tinkering 3 года назад

    I am one of those who covered their entire shop walls in French cleats and I wish I had had been smart enough to figure out this myself: Half the width of the board about to be cut into two cleats PLUS half the thickness. What a time and wood saver.
    Thank you so much.

  • @bira_85
    @bira_85 3 года назад

    I'm not even a woodworker but this channel is fascinating

  • @aaronbredon2948
    @aaronbredon2948 3 года назад

    The moment we decided to make our own kitchen cabinets, I pushed for French cleats.
    Our building was very old with player walls, and the walls were not linear - lots of bumps.
    It also allowed us to have support at every stud, even if that didn't align with the cabinet, and plenty of strength to hold heavy plates.
    The cleats accommodated this with no problem, and made the vertical alignment of stacked cabinets trivial.
    We made backed cabinets with the cabinet cleat behind the back.
    An old but very useful technique that makes mounting cabinets easy.

  • @morita2578
    @morita2578 3 года назад

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

  • @603storm
    @603storm 3 года назад

    Thanks for the centering tip when ripping a cleat down the middle.

  • @E.L.RipleyAtNostromo
    @E.L.RipleyAtNostromo Год назад

    I only discovered these because in breaking down an old shelf at my work I saw how they mounted it with a cleat. I built several shelves for my finished garage wall, and did as you showed in one example here. I inset the cleat flush into the back of the shelf (a slightly narrower cleat on the wall) so when it hung it was perfectly flush. Never considered doing it another way actually, LOL!
    The only thing I didn’t know how to do was rip the cleat board at 45 degrees perfectly in half, so only eyeballed it to get it close. This formula (1/2 width, 1/2 thickness from board width) is very helpful for next time I rip with a bevel, thanks!

  • @Tal.10
    @Tal.10 3 года назад

    Number 1 Woodworker on RUclips !
    Thank you for your great videos

  • @joekanicki5306
    @joekanicki5306 3 года назад +2

    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.

  • @M-Woods
    @M-Woods 5 месяцев назад

    I discovered this channel and I've been endlessly learning love this channel and personally learnt more here then anywhere else

  • @DoctorKamino
    @DoctorKamino 3 года назад

    i like how these videos get STRAIGHT TO THE POINT
    efficiency 100%

  • @1AXMRDR
    @1AXMRDR 3 года назад

    You're right, French cleets are handy as pockets on a shirt. I use them to hang poster size photos too. So easy to remove and rehang quickly if I ever need to clean the frames. I have a bunch hanging in my large garage that sometimes get spider webs or dust on. They are mounted high on the tall walls above the windows and doors and would be a challenge to get them to hang level using any other method.

  • @dougimmel
    @dougimmel 3 года назад

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

  • @johnbushur6080
    @johnbushur6080 3 года назад

    Great tip on finding the center of the angle cut!

  • @funtak
    @funtak 3 года назад

    Really like the tip on hiding the cleat inside on a single section and that's a neat trick for getting an even cut for the bevel. I would've wasted a few scraps getting that right.

  • @jakeb8856
    @jakeb8856 3 года назад

    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.

  • @kevinintheusa8984
    @kevinintheusa8984 3 года назад

    Thanks for this tip. I built new kitchen uppers and lower cabinets and used cleats for upper and lower. I made all of the cleats to hang them on narrower than the width of each cabinet and each cleat on the cabinet was recessed flush with the back. Worked like a charm and we were able to hang uppers and move them a bit left and right to get them aligned with the lowers much easier. I will never do them any other way.

  • @ykkfamily
    @ykkfamily 3 года назад +1

    I noticed how "ridge carbide" label on the saw was perfectly alligned for a nice shot while discussing cutting two cleat in one shot out of 6" piece. Nice touch in setting up the stage 😃

    • @StumpyNubs
      @StumpyNubs  3 года назад +1

      Sponsors make these videos possible :)

    • @ykkfamily
      @ykkfamily 3 года назад

      @@StumpyNubs all good I admire the dedication and attention to detail.

  • @bttdoorgunner
    @bttdoorgunner 3 года назад

    French cleat is definitely one of the best ways to hang cabinets. We have an old living room cabinet that was made in 1983 that already has them for hanging.

  • @darodes
    @darodes 2 года назад

    Big fan and new woodworker here…. Thanks for all you do.
    I’m a professional dog trainer and hobbyist DIY-er and have gotten into making things. My beloved dog passed away this year of a sudden stroke at only 5 years old and I’m making a memory box to hang some of his things. I want to use a French cleat to secure it to the wall just to be safe and this video has been the answer to most of my questions.
    Every time I need information on something, you have come through time and time again. Keep it up 👍

  • @joelcopeland3018
    @joelcopeland3018 3 года назад

    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.

  • @lonniecrook1684
    @lonniecrook1684 3 года назад

    Thanks for that simple formula for ripping a board down the middle with a 45 degree bevel!

  • @thumpbur
    @thumpbur Месяц назад

    I did the cabinet method to hang beside tables. It was awesome.

  • @2greenify
    @2greenify 2 месяца назад

    Awesome, thanks. Beginning hobbyist here that needs to upgrade his garage a little between projects.