How To Cut A French Cleat Without A Table Saw

If you don’t have enough room to organize your tools, you should use the French cleat storage system to tidy your workspace. Do you need a table saw to make French cleats, or is there another way if you don’t have one?

To cut a French cleat without a table saw, you can use a circular saw, miter saw, or jigsaw. A handsaw is also an option, but it takes a lot of effort. All you need to do is to cut two 45-degree angles and a straight guide. The best type of woods to make one are plywood and MDF.

Read on to learn more about French cleats and how you can make them using various power and hand tools.

Table of Contents

What Is a French Cleat?

A French cleat is an interlocked two-piece wood structure with a 30 to 45-degree slope that hangs a cabinet, mirror, or any other object to the wall.

You mount one part against the wall with its beveled surface upward, and the other piece goes on the back of the cabinet downward. Gravity helps the parts to push together and bear more weight. French cleats are often tough and can support at least 75 pounds (34 kg) of weight.

Tools To Make a French Cleat Without a Table Saw

If you don’t have a table saw, there are a few tools for making a French cleat. Here are brief descriptions about each one:

Circular Saw

The easiest way to cut a french cleat without a table saw is using a circular saw. A circular saw, also known as a hand-held saw, is a power saw with sharp metal teeth. It’s great for cutting long pieces of wood and straight cuts.

How To Cut a French Cleat Without a Table Saw

To start, mark your board with a pencil and draw a straight line. The lines act as visual aids to guide the blade. Set your circular saw at a 45-degree angle and start cutting. Now, you have two 45-degree boards that are flat on one side.

Keep in mind that circular saws aren’t accurate enough, so don’t forget to use straight edges or guide rails.

Miter Saw

A miter saw, or a drop saw, is a proper tool for cutting various angles and beveled edges like the back of a French cleat. It works with a spinning blade, which can cut a piece in a controlled way, and it’s perfect for trims and crosscuts.

Cutting French cleats with a miter saw requires setting the saw to a 45-degree angle and holding the workpiece against a fence. Please wait for the saw to reach its maximum speed, and then slowly blade down through the workpiece.

You can cut the board in any size you want. However, short pieces are difficult to cut with a miter saw, so it’s better to clamp them.

Band Saw

A band saw has a long, sharp blade with a metal toothed band to cut materials easily. It’s perfect for cutting curves and thick timbers. The most common uses of a band saw are cutting irregular angles and ripping workpieces thinner.

To cut a French cleat with a band saw:

Make a 45-degree angle.

Hold the workpiece with clamps while you set up the saw to cut through.
Put the workpiece beneath the blade as it moves slowly.

Jigsaw

A jigsaw is a flexible tool with a narrow blade. It’s pulled and pushed in a straight line to create irregular curves and shapes.

If you have one and want to make a French cleat with it, draw a line down the board length. Set an edge guide or clamp the board to make straight and accurate cuts. After the preparation, set the blade at a 45-degree angle. Now, It’s time to cut.

Once you finish, use a sanding block to clean the cracks and uneven edges so you’ll have a strong cleat.

Hand Saw

Making a French cleat with a hand saw is convenient and safe. Use a speed square to mark a 45-degree angle on the piece. Draw a straight line on the wood and put the saw on the marked line you want to cut. Close your elbow to your body to cut straightly. Pull and push down the saw with a bit of force to cut your piece thoroughly.

Despite its safety, a handsaw isn’t a convenient tool for making a French clean. Besides being laborious, sometimes it can’t fit well in your hand, and it can’t cut wet woods. You’ll have a higher chance of getting the job done if you use power saws. You also save a lot of time.

Panel Saw

Panel saws come in two varieties: horizontal and vertical. A vertical panel saw can’t cut beveled edges. So, to cut a French cleat with a panel saw, you should pick a horizontal one.

Put the saw on an even surface, reposition the blade to get your desired angle. Fix the workpiece and move the blade down the piece with moderate pressure. Be careful, though. This method isn’t suitable for beginners.

Scroll Saw

A scroll saw is used for delicate woodworks. It has a very narrow, reciprocating blade and is a suitable option for intricate and complex cuts. However, you can only make a French cleat with this saw to hang light items.

Your wood shouldn’t be more than ¾ inches (almost 2 cm) thick if you want to work with a scroll saw. Band saws are a better choice if you’re planning on working with thicker pieces of wood.

Plywood

Plywood can be the best option to make a high-quality french cleat that can support heavy items. You need ¾ inch plywood (18 mm) that’s five inches wide by at least 30 inches long. For home offices or kitchens, ½ inch (12mm) is enough.

Safety Tips

Woodworking can be a great hobby if you’re aware of the workshop environment and possible hazards while you’re working. To prevent accidents, follow these safety tips:

Wear safety equipment. When you work with power tools, it’s essential to wear ear protection. Similarly, wearing a mask decreases the impact of sawdust on your respiratory system. Don’t forget protective eyeglasses and latex gloves, either.

Wear a suitable outfit. Wearing loose or baggy clothes can be dangerous since they could get stuck in the saw blade. Remove your dangling jewelry, roll up your sleeves and tie back your hair if it’s long.

Unplug the saw. To change or install a blade, unplug the saw first; otherwise, it may cause amputations. Always consider a plugged-in tool as a working tool. Using a heavy-duty extension cord helps because you have to disconnect a power tool whenever you want to change a blade or change your tool.

Check the wood pieces before cutting. Before cutting, make sure to clean the workpiece from nails, screws, and bolts. They can harm saw blades and damage the part. They can even make the wood rotate toward you at high speed.

Final Thoughts

French cleats are handy tools. They consist of two 45-degree slope pieces that help you hang mirrors, cabinets, or other items on the wall.

You don’t need to have a table saw to cut a French cleat. You can make it with various power and hand tools such as circular saw, miter saw, bandsaw, jigsaw, handsaw, panel saw, and scroll saw.

Regardless of the type of saw you use, always make sure you protect your eyes, ears, and lungs when working with wood. And never plug in more than one device into an outlet at a time.

Sources

The Handyman’s Daughter: How to Make a French Cleat

Legend Handyman: How to Make a French Cleats with Hand Tools Only