DIY French Cleat Wall and Clamp Racks

I start out the project by measuring out every 5 inches on a sheet of 3/4-in Purebond plywood.

Then I use the track saw to rip all of the pieces that I just marked out. If you don’t have a track saw, you can make the cuts with a circular saw and straight edge.

Then I head over to the table saw to rip the pieces in half using a 45-degree angle so that I get two pieces out of each board.

I use a sanding block to take all the hard edges off the boards and get ready to mount them up.

Install a Temporary Stop Block

Since I used thin plywood on the walls, I decided to glue and screw the cleats directly onto the studs.

I level and temporarily attach a straight edge stop block so that all of the cleats are aligned.

Then I run a bead of glue on the cleats and use a level to make sure the spacing is on point.

Next, I shoot a few 1 1/2″ brads to hold them in place while I pre-drill and screw the cleats into the studs.

I start by breaking down some ¾” Purebond plywood to use for the pieces that will hold the clamps.

It is easier to batch cut all of the pieces that you will need. Having the right pieces for each rack will increase productivity and decrease any mistakes or hangups you encounter.

Next, I measure and mark the locations for the cuts I will need to make for the angled brackets. I can get two angled pieces out of each larger section of plywood.

Then I use the track saw to cut them into two pieces.

I quickly sand the pieces to break any sharp edges, then it’s over to the miter saw to make the final cuts.

The first cut is to remove the points on the angled brackets. The second is to put a 5-degree angle on the top of the brackets so that the clamps cannot slide off the front as easy.

I used the bar clamps to mock-up the placement of the brackets on the backer board so I could get the proper spacing in between the clamps to keep them from hitting each other in the racks.

Once I space out the rough locations to mount each of the brackets, I use my tape measure to refine all the measurements so I can accurately cut out the backer board.

Glue the brackets to the backer board and secure them with 1 ½” brads using my cordless brad nailer.

Before I attach the inner brackets, I will test fit the clamp one last time to ensure the placement is correct.

Then I’ll finish attaching the two inner brackets with brads.

And finish them off by pre-drilling and screwing them into place with 1 5/8″ deck screws.

I’ll take the entire piece over to the wall to mark the rough location for the back cleat and then use a tape measure to ensure the placement of the cleat is level.

Then I glue, nail, pre-drill and screw the cleat to the clamp rack.

I used some of the angled brackets that I made at the beginning of the project.

Then I cut and attached some smaller pieces of plywood to the tops that will support the clamps.

I use the same process for making the angled brackets as I did for the first two racks: breaking down the plywood into more manageable pieces.

Then I cut them down again on the miter saw.

So I taped the pieces together and took them to the miter saw to make the angled cuts.

Then I stack them all together and cut off the points from the front of the brackets so no one gets hurt.

I started by gluing the top pieces to the brackets and used the backer board as a spacer so the top pieces have more stability in the long run.

I nail the top and angled pieces together and continue on assembling the other angled brackets and tops.

Once all of the pieces were put together I started laying out the brackets using the clamps to ensure that I have the proper spacing in between each bracket.