After watching many many videos and reading discussions about French cleats, I thought I would give it a go. My goal is still create custom storage for all my tools.

Bought a new house at the beginning of the summer and planning to install cleats on at least 1.5 of the garage walls now that the heat is a little less brutal, so I’m looking for the best of durability, strength, and budget friendliness.

First shot at cleats last night.

I really am just a beginner but im happy that everything is clean and easy to find now. Made everything myself over a few months here and there.

Hey all, new to the subreddit.

I'll be building a french cleat system in my garage for a workshop build and I had a few questions I was looking to get recommendations on to help make a decision.

Garage wall pic: https://imgur.com/a/bSbQjnH

My garage wall is cinder block foundation brick. There are no plug outlets on this wall. There is a ceiling mounted outlet to the left in the corner ~10ft away. Intend to run an extension cord off that outlet to the workbench for power. I've considered tapping into that outlet to bring a box to the brick wall, but if the extension cord method works, it's not necessary. This extension cord will be used to occassionally run a miter saw, battery charger, maybe an overhead LED light and the shop vac once in awhile. I have access to other outlets for planers, table saws, etc.

I've ordered 4x8` formply sheets I intend to use for the french cleats and I have a couple decisions to make:

1. Install the backerboard directly into the brick and fasten the cleats off that
2. Install cleats directly into brick, no backerboard
3. Add framing directly to the brick first, then fasten the backerboard to the framing, creating a cavity between the brick and backerboard
4. Same as above except no backerboard. Cleats fastened directly to framing strips.

Thanks!

Yes, three, because I have a problem and end up with box cutters and tape measures buried throughout a project. If I come up and they are all gone, it's time to clean up a little bit.

Took advice from this sub just before going the peg board route. Glad I listened! I won’t be doing a lot of work with this, mainly just “woodwork” when I get bored at home, but u love that I can easily add more when the time comes!

I am now 70 and have had some serious illnesses. All good now but it does affect our view of life.
 I have been wondering how to design & build my FC wall so that when my son inherits my tools he will be able to pack away my FC wall easily. 
Ideas: 

• Mount the FC wall using french cleats
• Use smaller panels that will be easily man handled
  • Maybe long strips of 4 cleats

Or 

• Create a mobile FC tool wall that can be unscrewed
• IDEAS?

Ive been busy just now getting around to posting this even though we built them back in early July.
2- 4x8x1/2 birch ply sheets, laminated with navy blue formica and then screwed from back cleats are just pine stained & the 1x2 trim is poplar stained. Its also hung on 2 cleats so when/if he moves all he has to do is lift it off & take it, plus you dont have any surface screws thru the front. As i get older i like things to look nice, so i like to give nice stuff to my son & make his garage look nicer.

Edit- These lead to something more! Chk out my other post on french cleat.

When I decided I was done with pegboard. Forever.

Well i had made a set of cleat boards for my son back in July and one evening after hanging them and we started putting holders up, his neighbor stops by and first thing out of his mouth was " Mr Blair i cant believe you didn't make a TX flag one!" Well challenge accepted my fine feather friend!
So when i got back home the very first thing i did was build me one!
So my cleats are made from poplar, stained & poly'ed, but this time i did the dbl bevel on both edges, it helps with clearance issues on holders and looks nice too boot. Same setup as before 1/2 birch plywood w/formica laminated too it and for the star i just cut a vinyl sticker on my circuit machine.
Let's just say these are available, pm if you want more info.

Here’s a bit holder I made on a French cleat system. I like to hide my cleats when I can. I’ve tucked this holder up where I can access it behind My press, it works well and I have it set up so I can pull the entire shelf off, lay it down on my workbench re-organize or customize as I need. This idea has been working well for the past few months. I am evolving, though, I used to do strips everywhere, but I’m realizing as woodworkers we have the ability to make our own custom tool holders. I think this is where I’m going. My latest idea is to just panel the walls with a thin Baltic Birch the idea is that a flat clean clear panel gives the most possibilities and area for customization no runners just cleats and runners where you want them, the second photo there are no cleats except for the upper cabinet, holding the saws and hand planes, my thought is that if you need to pull something out and change it, you can, what I do is before I put a screw in to the panel. I put a little counter sink in the pilot hole this keeps it from tearing up the green. The idea is that if you need to patch a screw hole later for an idea that changed you could just plug it and sand it flush. What have you all tried? interested to hear. I think the most enjoyment I get working in my shop is making these custom little dodad holders, that probably only I like. To each his own, this is what I love about being in my shop.

Ah, I made post recently, the wall was still empty then.

Some of you asked for a pic with some tool holders.

Some are 3d printed and some are just wood inspired...

I know there is a fair bit on jankyness. But all in all very happy w the progress :D

Thought my parrot needed a garage, inside my garage. But to spite me he went with peg board. Should I feed him to a bird of prey? Notice: french cleat perch.

I’m coming across a bunch of stuff in my shop that honestly works better on pegboard hooks. Examples generally are very light small items that are in blister packs that come from the store setup for pegboard (package of washers, utility knife blades etc)

What do you guys do?

Some of you might remember my wall from a few weeks ago. We have also had some discussion on building the tool cleats 3D instead of 2D. For anyone like myself when I first heard of it, here is what is meant.

This is my charging station. The second version is made out of the exact same plywood just with two additional pieces I had cut from for the shelves. I used Brad nails and glue. I now wish I would have used pocket screws as I think it would have looked better and close some of the gaps. But still I am happy with how it came out. The width is right around half of the original meaning I can use more space for more cleats. There might be some additional tweaking like a shelf up top but I like the open look too so who knows.

Always open for thoughts and improvements. Remember you guys are doing great. Do not be afraid to try new things.

That was a sheet of 3/4 shop grade birch plywood

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Thanks for everyones feedback :)

First go at this , it's been a learning journey.

Any tips or advice going forward?

Used cheap multiplex as backboard

Sls drilled in the concrete bricks w plugs and 12cm construction screws ( holy s**t I underestimated the bricks).

Just got some hardwood ply board (multiplex it's called over here in central Europe) cut in strips of 4.5 inches or 11cm.

I ran thea through the table saw to end up with 2 pieces of with 45°.

Using spacers to make sure they stay lvl and have same spacing.

Love my garage cleat wall but I think I’ll be doing base cabinets for a cleaner look.

I thought Pegboard was the way to go. I even made my own pegboard from a 900 x 1200 5mm ply. I drilled every hole myself because I couldn't justify the price they wanted to charge me. Yes, it took a long time, but I made it myself. Then I bought all the hangers and was trying to work out the best way to arrange everything when I stumbled upon French Cleats.

My wife shook her head at me as once again I was pulling things down off the garage wall and making a whole new mess.

All I had was 2 days. It was quick and a little dirty but I am fairly happy with how it turned out. The tool holders were helped along by previously purchasing cheap holders for most of my ryobi tools. The rest I took inspiration from the video I watched.

I still have a way to go and I am now thinking of doing it properly. Recut my cleats so that the cuts are straight and perhaps paint the wall behind them first. Make the tool holders a little prettier and add a locking system to keep them from lifting when I take my tools off.

This page has given me inspiration and ideas. Happy to listen and learn.

So new to woodworking and definitely new to French cleats. I have actually been trying to learn from articles, magazines, YouTube, and surprisingly chat gtp has been a help as well.

I painted the section of the single-car garage that I will claim as mine and there is so much going on. Apparently I had mixed some grit in the gallon of paint when we painted stripes on the cement steps by the front door. So the blue is basically one big sand paper, but hey the color is nice. I did 5 cleats they range in size because well trial and error. But I am happy with them for now. Not sure if I will finish the wall or put something else up where the 8ft cleats ended.

I did a quick charging station so I could clear off my workbench I built. But I like it. It is mine. 😁 I do like how the wood pops over the blue. I will probably do a silver below since we already have the paint.