Locking french cleats

[DynaGlide]

I'm sure I'm not the first person to think of this. But this works beautifully:

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-bdpc8pL/0/MjMPq4CXTc5FpXF3XZ9M82trdVxkdD5p88G6pw3nL/1280/i-bdpc8pL-1280.mp4

 

[Muttley000]

What a great idea!  You may not be the first, but I’ve not seen it before.

 

[live4ever]

Thats pretty darn slick.  Imma have to use that, unless you’re planning on patenting it.  [tongue]

 

[Vondawg]

Great idea ! …….@noDynaglide

 

[DynaGlide]

That’s pretty darn slick.  Imma have to use that, unless you’re planning on patenting it.  [tongue]

Unfortunately as an employee of the patent office I'm barred from doing so 

 

[Packard]

I just put a small screw in about where your vertical pencil line would intersect with your horizontal pencil line.  But I like your idea better.  Requires no tools.

It looks like a 3/8” diameter hole and a 3/8” diameter dowel would work exactly the same way the Domino works.

I don’t have a domino, so I will give the dowel a try the next time I need to lock a French cleat.

Most times that I use French cleats it is hidden behind something and this would not work.  But in situations where it would work, pretty nifty.

In fact, a much smaller hole and a pull pin, an unused pop rivet, or even a inch long wire brad (though it might take a pair of pliers to remove it).

A cleaver concept that allows for many variations.

 

[DynaGlide]

I just put a small screw in about where your vertical pencil line would intersect with your horizontal pencil line.  But I like your idea better.  Requires no tools.

It looks like a 3/8” diameter hole and a 3/8” diameter dowel would work exactly the same way the Domino works.

I don’t have a domino, so I will give the dowel a try the next time I need to lock a French cleat.

Most times that I use French cleats it is hidden behind something and this would not work.  But in situations where it would work, pretty nifty.

In fact, a much smaller hole and a pull pin, an unused pop rivet, or even a inch long wire brad (though it might take a pair of pliers to remove it).

A cleaver concept that allows for many variations.

Yes the dowel is the idea I copied to get to here. I don't have any dowel stock and if I did, I don't want to measure for the hole drilling or deal with cutting the dowels down. With the Domino I've just been using the paddle to do a plunge, take it to my miter saw, cut it off, cut the french cleat material same length while there, rinse and repeat. Not highly efficient but they all come out the same and I don't have to think about the kerf width of my saw.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Another option depends entirely on the spacing of your cleats. That is placing a spacer between the top of the cleat and the next row above it. That's what I do with mine, but they are also only 2 1/4" apart.
I have seen people space them a foot or more apart. I think that is constraining adjustability, which also wastes space, but others see mine as a waste of material.

 

[DynaGlide]

Another option depends entirely on the spacing of your cleats. That is placing a spacer between the top of the cleat and the next row above it. That's what I do with mine, but they are also only 2 1/4" apart.
I have seen people space them a foot or more apart. I think that is constraining adjustability, which also wastes space, but others see mine as a waste of material.

I usually space mine 3 5/8 apart. I've found that to work well. For the garden tool wall I didn't see a point in this so went farther.

The added benefit of close spacing is you now have something for your brackets to rest against that is in plane.

 

[Packard]

I made three flower boxes for the windows at the front of my house.  They are mounted on French cleats.

For reasons that escape my comprehension, the flower boxes wanted to walk up the cleat.  They never fully disengaged from the wall mounted cleat, but it was unsettling to me. 

My solution was to drive two screws through the back of the flower boxes and into the cleats.  It means that I have to remove the screws each time I take the flower boxes down.  Luckily, they are at the perfect height for me to tend the flowers, so I have not had reason to take them down.

Also, apparently they are just above the height that deer like to feed.  My neighbors flower beds are largely decimated by deer.  But as you can see they seem to leave my window boxes alone.

(You have to take it on faith that there are flower boxes under all that color.)

 

[Mini Me]

There a few different ways to lock french cleats but I don't get why it takes a 13 minute video to show this one.

 

[Packard]

There a few different ways to lock french cleats but I don't get why it takes a 13 minute video to show this one.

This is of the school of videography that says, “The longer the video you post, the more important you are.”

I like tightly edited videos the minimum of verbal communication.  Let the action on screen tell the story. But alas, there are precious few who embrace that notion.  (And my posts tend to wander and be too, too long.)

 

[fritter63]

I'm sure I'm not the first person to think of this. But this works beautifully:

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-bdpc8pL/0/MjMPq4CXTc5FpXF3XZ9M82trdVxkdD5p88G6pw3nL/1280/i-bdpc8pL-1280.mp4

Great idea.

Wonder if it would make sense to taper the domino, allowing you to draw it tight? Then you wouldn't have to worry about accuracy on alignment/placement.

Kind of like a drawn pegged M&T

 

[Packard]

I'm sure I'm not the first person to think of this. But this works beautifully:

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-bdpc8pL/0/MjMPq4CXTc5FpXF3XZ9M82trdVxkdD5p88G6pw3nL/1280/i-bdpc8pL-1280.mp4

Great idea.

Wonder if it would make sense to taper the domino, allowing you to draw it tight? Then you wouldn't have to worry about accuracy on alignment/placement.

Kind of like a drawn pegged M&T

You can certainly do that with a dowel.  I’ve put true radii on dowels by chucking them in a electric drill and using sandpaper.  It would not be difficult to put a taper on a dowel using the same technique.

I’m not sure how well that would work.  The end of the domino (or dowel) that would be doing the work, is the same end that has the most clearance.  There is potential for that clearance to loosen the interference fit.

I could be just imagining the problem that might not really exist.  You’d have to make a test to be sure.

 

[DynaGlide]

I don't think the goal here is to make anything tight. You want to be able to slide the cleats around.

After a few days with this setup and all of our gardening tools and some of my woodworking tools on the walls I'm very happy with how it's working out. I have my Incra 1000SE on one of these hooks/cleats combos and it's very solid.

 

[DynaGlide]

This section of my garage is a big win in my book. I finally, finally have my guide rails off the ground. I've had these 4 rails (2x 1080 and 2x 1400) standing on edge in my basement ever since I got them. Now I can grab any of them easily. The 75" will have to live in the basement until I figure something else out. No, I don't want to drill into my garage door and use Fastcap brackets. I use that one the most so maybe it'll get hung from a nail etc.

That miter gauge has also been a thorn in my side. I don't use it often but it never had a home until now. Same with the parallel guides and the tracktubes. The idea here is I only use the track saw in the garage so I want everything track saw related within arms reach.