Organize in Style: The Modern Neat French Cleat Solution
Welcome to Neat French Cleat
I’m Alan, a maker at heart and I found a better way to organize my workshop.
Like many of you, I struggled with clutter. Then I stumbled upon French cleats, and everything changed. It was a game-changer that helped me work smarter and faster.
Inspired, I took the concept further. Much further!
I’ve reimagined French cleats into a unique modular system. Our collection includes wallboards, shelves, and specialized tool holders, all based on a series of fixed dimensions. This system is designed to make your workspace neat and efficient. Whether you’re looking to organize tools or just need a smarter storage solution, our products can help.
Explore Neat French Cleat today and discover how easy and satisfying it can be to have everything in its place!
You can see and download the various parts of the system here. All you need is a laser cutter, some plywood, and very little else.
Our Best Sellers
Never Design A French Cleat Again
Stop spending hours trying to design the perfect French cleat. With our system, it’s as easy as 1-2-3! Simply choose the cleat size you need, download the plans, and you’re ready to go.
- Step 1: Pick the cleat size that fits your tool or workspace.
- Step 2: Download the ready-to-use design file.
- Step 3: Send the file to your laser cutter, assemble the parts, and hang the cleat on your wall.
No design headaches, just simple, fast organization! Transform your workshop with minimal effort and maximum efficiency.
It’s A Modular French Cleat System
Much like Festool Systainers, which are renowned for their modular design and ability to stack seamlessly due to their standardized dimensions, our Neat French Cleat system follows the same principle of smart organization. The reason Festool Systainers work so well is their modularity—each container varies only in height but maintains the same base dimensions, making it easy to mix, match, and stack to suit your needs.
Our Neat French Cleats are built with the same philosophy in mind. With standardized heights of 282mm, 390mm, and 462mm, and a variety of widths, our cleats give you the flexibility to customize and expand your workspace without sacrificing organization. Like the Systainer, everything fits together, creating a clean, organized system where everything has its place.
By embracing a modular system, you eliminate clutter and chaos. Whether it’s tools, consumables, or hardware, our French Cleat system ensures efficiency and order, just like Festool’s trusted Systainers. Perfect for the modern workshop, this modular approach guarantees that you can expand or adapt your storage without starting from scratch.
Wallboards
The Neat French Cleat System is based on a series of wallboards. These come in a few heights and numerous widths.
You just pick which size suits a particular tool and send that drawing to the laser.
Minutes later you have the parts needed to hang your tool on the wall.
You can add dowels, hooks, magnets, or cleats to any wallboard to customize each assembly for any particular tool.
There are 37 sizes to choose from, so you’ll always find the right size wallboard for each tool
As you make more and more cleats, they form a patchwork that fills your wall, making you super organized and more efficient.
They look amazing too.
Custom Tool Holders
Shelves
Our range of 31 versatile shelves and double shelves is designed to hold everything from cordless power tools and batteries to hand tools, consumables, and all your workshop essentials.
Available in the three standard heights—282mm, 390mm, and 462mm—these shelves come in various widths to suit your storage needs.
Whether you’re organizing power tools or keeping bits and bobs in order, our shelves are built to bring structure and efficiency to your space. Say goodbye to clutter and hello to a streamlined, organized workshop!
Neat French Cleat Spacing
Ok, time to fess up… When I first converted my 170 year old old pig sty (it literally used to house pigs), into a workshop, I added 175 metres of French Cleats. But they were spaced randomly. I just picked a dimension, cut two spacers, fitted the bottom cleat, and added cleat after cleat.
This is what everyone does.
But, when developing the Neat French Cleat System, I carefully calculated the optimal cleat spacing, and I designed two spacers, fitted the top cleat, and spaced the remaining cleats using my spacers.
Now, when you hang the cleats, they are exactly 6mm (or 1/4″ apart).
There’s no wasted space between the cleats.
Neat French Cleat FAQs
A French cleat is a simple, secure way to mount tools, shelves, and other items on a wall. It consists of a pair of strips of wood or plywood with a cut 45 degree angle: one attached to the wall and the other to the item. The angled cleats slide together for a strong, customizable storage solution.
The Neat French Cleat System is designed for maximum versatility and organization. It includes a wide range of customizable tool holders, shelves, and custom cleats, all designed to fit neatly into your workspace, keeping tools within easy reach while saving space.
Unlike any other French cleats they are designed as a modular system, so they form a matching patchwork of cleats on your wall.
With the Neat French Cleat System, you can organize everything from small hand tools like chisels and files, to larger items such as clamps, drills, and even consumables. We offer specific solutions for masks, goggles, ear defenders, marking tools, carpenter squares, and more.
It’s easy! Simply attach the cleat rails to your wall, ensuring they are level. From there, all our boards, shelves, and holders can be securely mounted by sliding onto the cleat. You can rearrange and add new items as needed without drilling more holes in your walls.
Our products are designed to be made from 6mm or 1/4″ plywood. Once you download the plans for your specific item, you need a laser cutter to cut out the components and some glue to assemble them.
Absolutely! Our system is designed with flexibility in mind. You can add dowels, hooks, magnets, bulldog clips, or short cleat lengths to any board to suit your specific needs. Many users have also turned our boards into blackboards, signs, or receipt holders.
It’s easy to make the boards shorter if you need to go around an electrical socket or light switch.
The strength of the system depends on the cleat material and how securely the cleats are mounted. Typically, properly mounted French cleats can hold a significant amount of weight—often more than traditional hooks or shelves. For heavier items, ensure your cleats are anchored into wall studs.
Yes, our French Cleat Wallboards and Shelves come in a variety of heights and widths to suit any workspace. Wallboards come in 34 sizes and shelves in 30 sizes, ensuring there’s always a perfect fit for your tools.
Yes! We offer bundle deals, allowing you to save more when you buy multiple boards, shelves, or holders. The more you buy, the more you save—making it easy to organize your entire workspace affordably.
Simply browse our range of products, measure the tools or items you want to organize, and download the plans. From there, it’s as easy as cutting and assembling the boards or shelves. We’re always here to help if you need guidance!
My Laser
A Gweike Cloud 50W
I rely on my Gweike Cloud 50W laser, a powerful and versatile tool that’s perfect for precision cutting and engraving. With its user-friendly design, this laser effortlessly handles everything from intricate tool holders to larger cleat systems. Its speed, accuracy, and ability to work with various materials make it an essential part of my workshop, ensuring that every custom French cleat and component is perfectly cut.