A creative take on the French Cleat system.

[Morabob]

My first post, new to the garage. Wanted to share something I've never seen I think some people can get a lot of use out of.

When we moved in to our new home about a year ago the wife agreed that the garage was mine and as long as she could park in there and store some large bins she would be happy. Well it has been a long road on getting the house where we want it and now that it is done we finally have time to attack the garage which became the catchall for all the **** and project materials that were cluttering the rooms along the way.

Once I had the garage relatively clean I decided that I hated tucking my bench grinders and bench vises away into cabinets. They weren't utilizing the space in the cabinets well, were a pain to get in and out and they frankly don't work very well when they are unsecured on a surface.

I have been using the french cleats in my garage to organize a lot of the smaller things to get them out of the drawers and into a more accessible area lately. While it has been useful I feel like I haven't been utilizing their load bearing capabilities properly and decided to take it up a notch.

Introducing the new system for my tools that are heavy/take up crazy amounts of room and need to be secure when in use.



I know what you are thinking. "I've seen tons of people using french cleats for wall storage, why is yours 'special'?" Well if you look at the cleats you will notice that it has the 45* bevel on both the top and bottom. No this isn't so I can store them either direction. This is the part that makes them so useful.



By gluing the same sized cleats back to back and adding some pocket hole screws for additional strength I was able to create a piece that fit inside the double cleat. I then planed down the shorter/bottom side, rounded the sharp45* angle and rubbed to down with beeswax and I had a rail the tools could easily slide onto.



I ran 3 bolts through the piece and the table and put knobs on the underside.
Now all I have to do to use a tool is remove it from the wall, slide it on the rail and turn a knob and I have a securely affixed tabletop tool. To remove the rail so I can use the entire work surface all I have to do is spin off the 3 knobs and lift up. Voila!

Thanks for reading, let me know what you think and if you have any questions I'd be happy to answer.

 

[rlitman]

I like. A lot! Though I'd have probably done it a little differently (not to detract in any way from your way of doing it).

Here's an idea. Make your table rail a little looser so that when bolted firmly down, the tools can still slide on it. The add a lever cam to each tool base that locks it down to the rail.

 

[Morabob]

I like. A lot! Though I'd have probably done it a little differently (not to detract in any way from your way of doing it).

Here's an idea. Make your table rail a little looser so that when bolted firmly down, the tools can still slide on it. The add a lever cam to each tool base that locks it down to the rail.

Wouldn't that leave the rail loose and cause chatter and movement when using the tool?

Also with one knob tightened I can still slide things on an off the other sections. It has 3 separate knobs so I can vary the areas that are clamped.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Good engineering!

 

[creativecars]

Nice.. the idea is good and could be used for a variety of things, but I'm not sure you could really lean into the vise mounted on plywood.

 

[rlitman]

Wouldn't that leave the rail loose and cause chatter and movement when using the tool?

Not if you do it right. Look at an Aloris toolpost. Either the wedge (more difficult to fabricate) or piston design would tighten the tool (or a few other methods I could think of).

 

[Morabob]

Nice.. the idea is good and could be used for a variety of things, but I'm not sure you could really lean into the vise mounted on plywood.

I thought the same thing so last night I tried clamping a pipe in the vise and putting all my weight on a 2' section sticking out and I got more movement from the table than the vise. I don't plan on doing anything crazy with the vise but I do need to secure things for filing, grinding, cutting etc. It will be nice to have a vise again.

 

[PugetDude]

Good idea. I like the concept of using open wall space instead of valuable floor space.

 

[Morabob]

Not if you do it right. Look at an Aloris toolpost. Either the wedge (more difficult to fabricate) or piston design would tighten the tool (or a few other methods I could think of).

Jesus! If I had that kind of money I wouldn't need to fabricate something like this. I'll admit there are better ways to do this but for $50 in bolts and some scrap plywood laying around you can't do much better I'd think.

 

[mike93lx]

That's a great idea.

 

[PugetDude]

Jesus! If I had that kind of money I wouldn't need to fabricate something like this. I'll admit there are better ways to do this but for $50 in bolts and some scrap plywood laying around you can't do much better I'd think.

Welcome to the GJ!

 

[altersaddle]

You could also attach two cleats to the top of a Workmate. Slide the tool on and then open the jaws to snug it down.

 

[Kevin54]

First off.....Welcome to Garage Journal. Glad to have you join our site.

Secondly, if you would, could you put your state into your profile? It helps to answer questions every once in a while. No need for a City, but just a state is adequate.

Thirdly......Killer post!!! I have a grinder like yours, and a compound miter saw that I don't have a permanent home for. I just set up a table on sawhorses when I need them, and I don't have room on my bench. I do have a blank wall though that I can store them though. Thanks for showing those.

And again...Welcome!!!!

 

[theoldwizard1]

I like it ! I would hang the lighter tools up higher. That way you utilize the wasted upper wall space and have room for a second or third row.

 

[rlitman]

Jesus! If I had that kind of money I wouldn't need to fabricate something like this. I'll admit there are better ways to do this but for $50 in bolts and some scrap plywood laying around you can't do much better I'd think.

Lol. I didn't say to buy one. I'm just trying to point to design inspirations as to how to lock up a dovetail.

 

[Morabob]

Lol. I didn't say to buy one. I'm just trying to point to design inspirations as to how to lock up a dovetail.

I know. I figured I wasn't the first to come up with this idea but I was happy with the execution. Thanks for sharing the designs.

 

[bugnout]

Very cool, consider your idea stolen...

 

[JettaGetUpandGo]

Jesus! If I had that kind of money I wouldn't need to fabricate something like this. I'll admit there are better ways to do this but for $50 in bolts and some scrap plywood laying around you can't do much better I'd think.

I love this idea!

I did something similar by drilling evenly spaced holes in my work bench with 3/8" t-nuts below. My grinder/vice/Dremel workstation/pocket hole jig/etc. are bolted to boards with matching holes that allow me to bolt them down to the workbench in multiple places along the front edge. The advantage to this is nothing sticks up permanently from the workbench surface. I lay mine underneath the workbench when not in use, but I suppose they could be mounted on the wall with hooks spaced to match the holes. A French cleat sounds a bit more sophisticated though.

By the way, did you say $50 in bolts? Are they made out of unobtanium?

 

[Morabob]

I love this idea!

I did something similar by drilling evenly spaced holes in my work bench with 3/8" t-nuts below. My grinder/vice/Dremel workstation/pocket hole jig/etc. are bolted to boards with matching holes that allow me to bolt them down to the workbench in multiple places along the front edge. The advantage to this is nothing sticks up permanently from the workbench surface. I lay mine underneath the workbench when not in use, but I suppose they could be mounted on the wall with hooks spaced to match the holes. A French cleat sounds a bit more sophisticated though. [emoji14]

By the way, did you say $50 in bolts? Are they made out of unobtanium?

I used corresponding 1/2" and 3/8" bolts, nylon nuts, washers ranging between 1 1/2" to 2" long, however the knobs were almost $5 each. They were the big splurge.

 

[Bib Overalls]

Crazy cool.

 

[indyokie]

I have been thinking about how I could interchange - vice, buffer, grinder, etc...thank for the pre-proven design.

 

[JettaGetUpandGo]

I used corresponding 1/2" and 3/8" bolts, nylon nuts, washers ranging between 1 1/2" to 2" long, however the knobs were almost $5 each. They were the big splurge.

Ah, the knobs add up quick. Nuts/bolts/washers are purchased by the pound at Farm and Fleet. They is often on sale for $1.49/lb. I think the normal price is close to $2.

Fleet Farm and Tractor Supply Co. also sell hardware by the pound.

 

[dgbdman]

I like it. Thanks for sharing your idea.