I plan to hang the majority of my hand tools on the wall of my workshop, and I reckon that using boards suspended via french cleats makes the most sense. However, I have never used this method of hanging anything before, and I haven't been able to find any information online which answers some of my basic questions about it. Basically, I have been wondering the following:
- What depth and thickness should I use for the cleats?
- Is a 45 degree angle on the mating pieces of wood adequate or is there a better choice of angle?
- Is birch plywood suitable for the cleats or should I use a hardwood (or would pine suffice, even)?
I will probably mount a hanging rail of 2m to 2.5m on the wall (preferably one piece, but may have to opt for several pieces if the wall proves to be too irregular - the wall is plastered blockwork). From this I was thinking of suspending several boards of in or around 600mm x 300mm. I had been thinking of using 1-inch thick birch plywood for the cleats, with the mating edges angled at 45 degrees, but testing its reliability by loading it with my "precious" hand tools is likely to keep me awake the first few nights (a bit like when I first filled my 125 litre aquarium sitting on top of the cabinet that I made for it - given the option, I'd probably have chosen to have several paper hand-towel companies on speed-dial for the first few days!).
For the hanging boards themselves, I was considering 12mm plywood in the hope that it will be strong enough without adding further weight - should I be considering 18mm plywood instead? Also, I have seen some photos of hanging boards which are angled, rather than hanging vertically, and I wondered whether there is any advantage to adding such an angle (assuming that the method of attaching tools to the board is strong and reliable in the first place)?
As regards the types of tools that I plan to hang, it consists of the usual things like chisels , planes, measuring tools, etc. The bulk of the weight is likely to be the chisels (about 14), the planes (6 or so), and the hammers (about 5).
Thanks for any advice.
- What depth and thickness should I use for the cleats?
- Is a 45 degree angle on the mating pieces of wood adequate or is there a better choice of angle?
- Is birch plywood suitable for the cleats or should I use a hardwood (or would pine suffice, even)?
I will probably mount a hanging rail of 2m to 2.5m on the wall (preferably one piece, but may have to opt for several pieces if the wall proves to be too irregular - the wall is plastered blockwork). From this I was thinking of suspending several boards of in or around 600mm x 300mm. I had been thinking of using 1-inch thick birch plywood for the cleats, with the mating edges angled at 45 degrees, but testing its reliability by loading it with my "precious" hand tools is likely to keep me awake the first few nights (a bit like when I first filled my 125 litre aquarium sitting on top of the cabinet that I made for it - given the option, I'd probably have chosen to have several paper hand-towel companies on speed-dial for the first few days!).
For the hanging boards themselves, I was considering 12mm plywood in the hope that it will be strong enough without adding further weight - should I be considering 18mm plywood instead? Also, I have seen some photos of hanging boards which are angled, rather than hanging vertically, and I wondered whether there is any advantage to adding such an angle (assuming that the method of attaching tools to the board is strong and reliable in the first place)?
As regards the types of tools that I plan to hang, it consists of the usual things like chisels , planes, measuring tools, etc. The bulk of the weight is likely to be the chisels (about 14), the planes (6 or so), and the hammers (about 5).
Thanks for any advice.