DIY - Sharing how to make your own French Cleat tool hanger

We invite you to watch the video I shared

Making

First, you need to have a flat and sturdy wall. If your wall is strong enough, you can use it, but if not, you need a wooden board as a foundation like me. Please see the photo below to illustrate it so you can easily imagine.

I divided it into 2 main parts: the hanging board and the hanging base.

Hanging board part

Looking at the left side, you will see that you have a large, flat wooden board as the background. I cut many long wooden bars with one edge cut at a 45 degree angle and connected them to the base plate with glue and screws. I repeated many rows like that on the board, thus completing the tool board.

Tool hanger base

Next is the hanging base, see the right part in the photo above, you cut a board with a size depending on the tool or function you want. Then make shelves, grooves, hooks, etc. so you can put your tools or hang them up, etc. Finally, you will use a wooden stick with a 45 degree edge cut in the opposite direction from the part on the board as shown in the photo. That's it, you can attach the base to hang the tool on the board. Note You should choose wood that has good bonds, is sturdy, and limits warping, because if it warps, it will make the other bond unstable and easily cause your tools to fall. The type of wood I am using is plywood, which you can find and buy quite easily. The connection part, which is the part with a 45-degree cut edge, must be the same thickness on the board and on the mounting base to create a good and sturdy connection. I'm using the type with 18mm thickness.

Why choose French Cleat instead of perforated iron board?

Personally, perforated iron boards are more suitable for people who work in electronics, mechanics, cars, etc., but I like DIY so I want to make this board myself. It looks rustic and tends to be more DIY. In addition, making your own soles with different shapes also helps you be more creative, do more and improve your DIY ability. Every time I finish a certain base, I get excited and enjoy looking at it on the shelf for a bit. Anyway, this is a personal preference, you can use whichever you like better, each has its own benefits.

On a perforated iron board, you can move between rows and columns a fairly small distance, flexibly according to your needs because the holes are evenly spaced in both horizontal and vertical rows. You can quickly buy iron hooks or some common types of mounting bases for all kinds of tools. However, there won't be a separate base for everything you want, some of you will have to resort to 3D printing.

Expense

Many people think that making this board yourself will save more money than buying a perforated iron board, but according to my actual experience, this is not true. The type of plywood I use is average or higher and is not cheap. In addition, every time I change and upgrade, I also spend more wood to redo the base, even a large piece of wood uses a lot of wood, so I don't see how it can save money, guys. If you make a small array with a few shelves, it may save money, but if you make a large array with many hanging bases, it won't. Therefore, it is difficult for me to be specific about this cost, because the needs, interests, and abilities of each brother will be different. There are a few models of hanging bases that I have made for my tools, some of which incorporate a plastic base.

Thank you for reading the article, if there's anything interesting I'll share with you.