French Cleats for Hanging Small Cabinets

[jfynyson]

I'm designing a hanging tea cabinet and am going to use a French cleat for hanging it. It's ~25-1/2" tall x 13" wide x 6-1/2" deep from 5/8" & 1/2" walnut, 1/4" shiplap ambrosia maple back, and small drawers. It'll hold (4) 38oz glass sealable jars for loose tea and two drawers for tea bags, etc...nothing really heavy in the end. Currently I have a 3/4" thick French cleat and would like to get a little more drawer depth that a 1/2" cleat would allow. I know 3/4" cleats are used for kitchen cabinetry and this would be nowhere near that load.

Question:

• Do you believe a 1/2" thick French cleat will suffice for this design vs the 3/4" ?

 

[Mike Davis]

I would go as thin as 5/16 on that as long as it’s not over 50 pounds loaded. 1/2 should be fine. Just be sure it is secured to studs or solid wood wall with at least three #12 screws 2 inches into the wood.

 

[jfynyson]

I would go as thin as 5/16 on that as long as it’s not over 50 pounds loaded. 1/2 should be fine. Just be sure it is secured to studs or solid wood wall with at least three #12 screws 2 inches into the wood.

Thanks ! It's going into a cinder block wall.

 

[MikeMen]

There is no reason that the cabinet back can't be split and the bottom half set in a rabbet flush with the back. Your drawers are then able to go the extra 3/4 inches. The lower half of the back could be 1/4 plywood since it doesn't show.

 

[jfynyson]

There is no reason that the cabinet back can't be split and the bottom half set in a rabbet flush with the back. Your drawers are then able to go the extra 3/4 inches. The lower half of the back could be 1/4 plywood since it doesn't show.

Thanks, the back is planned to be 1/4" shiplap ambrosia maple. I adjusted the design for a 3/8" cleat and this gives me 5-1/16" target for the drawer inside dimensions....my aim was for at least 5" so it all works out well !