In this guide, Drew from Fisher’s Shop shares his recent woodworking project, where he builds custom holders for his new T-squares using a French cleat system. Below, you’ll find a detailed breakdown of the steps taken, along with materials and tools needed for the project.
Materials Needed
- 3/4 inch plywood
- Black walnut strips
- CA glue
- Danish oil
- 3D printer (for custom holders)
Tools Required
- Table saw
- Router
- Clamps
- Sander
- Fusion 360 (for design)
- Angle grinder
Step 1: Designing the Holders
Drew starts by laying out his new T-squares, which come in four different sizes named after blades: the Dagger, Cutless, Long Sword, and Claymore. He wants to save wall space while ensuring all three smaller T-squares are easily accessible. To do this, he uses scrap wood to create spacers, allowing the T-squares to nest on top of one another.
Step 2: Creating the Backer Board
Once Drew has the dimensions for the holders, he cuts a piece of 3/4 inch plywood for the backer board. He jazzes it up by framing it with black walnut strips to hide the plywood edges and match other holders in his shop.
Step 3: Assembly of the Holders
After gluing and clamping the walnut strips onto the plywood, Drew flush trims the edges. He then lays out the T-squares on the backer board, marking the location for each holder. Using CA glue and a straight edge, he secures them in place.
Step 4: Adding Stability
Drew notices that the smallest T-square is back heavy and wants to tip out of the holder. To solve this, he designs and 3D prints additional supports for the handles, ensuring all T-squares sit securely.
Step 5: Mounting the Cleat
Next, he cuts a cleat at a 45-degree angle to mount the holder onto the wall. After gluing it to the back of the holder, he adds spacers to keep it flat against the wall and applies Danish oil for a smooth finish.
Step 6: Installing the Holder
Drew installs the new holder on the wall, and it fits perfectly! He expresses satisfaction with how stable and organized the T-squares are now.
Step 7: Making a Unique Holder for the Claymore
With the smaller T-squares mounted, Drew turns his attention to the Claymore T-square. Using a black walnut slab, he plans to create a holder that resembles a rock. After cutting and planning the wood, he routes out a slot for the T-square, ensuring it fits snugly.
Step 8: Finalizing the Rock Holder
Drew shapes the holder to give it a jagged stone appearance, emphasizing that it’s not about sculpting perfection but achieving a rugged look. After sanding and applying Danish oil, the holder looks stunning with the Claymore T-square in place.
Step 9: Making a Holder for Japanese Saws
Drew receives a selection of beautiful Japanese saws and decides to create a gravity friction holder. He cuts out inclines for the rollers and turns a piece of walnut into rollers for the saws, ensuring they hold securely in place.
Step 10: Completing the Sander Holder
Lastly, Drew designs a holder for a new sander, incorporating a power cord wrap system. He carefully constructs the holder using plywood and walnut, adding finish to enhance the visual appeal. The new holders are now ready to be used in the workshop!
Conclusion
Drew wraps up the project by reflecting on the efficiency and creativity that comes with using French cleats for tool storage. He encourages viewers to explore building their own custom holders for a more organized and aesthetically pleasing workspace.
Video
Matt’s Take
These are my personal thoughts and tips based on my own experience in the shop. This section is not written, reviewed, or endorsed by the original creator of this project.
French cleat systems are fantastic for shop organization because they make it so easy to reconfigure your storage as your tool collection grows. The beauty is in the flexibility — you can swap out holders or add new ones without having to drill new holes in your shop walls.
The gravity friction concept for those Japanese saws is really clever. That type of holder works well for tools with consistent dimensions, and the wooden rollers will be gentle on the saw handles. When working with walnut for shop projects like this, I always appreciate how it machines so cleanly and takes finish beautifully, even for purely functional pieces.
Safety-wise, when cutting those 45-degree bevels for the cleats, it’s worth taking your time with the setup and using proper support. A well-tuned fence and steady feed rate will give you clean, consistent angles that mate perfectly. Also, CA glue sets fast, so having everything positioned correctly before applying it saves a lot of headaches later.
The 3D printed supports show how modern tools can solve old problems in new ways. Even if you don’t have a printer, similar stabilizing elements could be made from wood offcuts or even bent from sheet metal for certain applications.