Keyhole Plate

[Dr.Al]

My next project is probably going to be a simple shelf thing for Carolyn (for storing arty supplies stuff, including a big pot of paintbrushes, which needs quite a tall opening). The current concept (which has had the seal of approval, but I'd be open to suggestions for improvements - as I've said before, aesthetic design is not my strong point) is for it to be something like this:



Probably made out of Ash as I bought a load of it recently from Wentwood. I've been assured that nothing especially heavy will be stored on it, so hopefully the wood thickness will be ample.

For mounting it on the wall, I was thinking of using something like this (one on each side)...



... which I think is called a keyhole plate.

Any recommendations for good quality ones (or suggestions for a better way of wall-mounting it)? I know I could make them myself, but that would be quite a dull exercise for something that will never be seen, so I'd rather just buy one.

 

[Malc2098]

How about a pair of French cleats?

 

[HappyHacker]

My only concern with keyhole plates is ensuring that if the wall is brick/breeze block/stone that the hole is drilled with sufficient accuracy. Having spent far too much of my life drilling holes in walls/floor/ceilings I know that no matter how much care is taken it only takes a stone in a brick to throw the drill off sufficiently to cause a problem when trying to drill to millimeter accuracy. I curse when I try to fit something which has predrilled holes with no leeway to the fixing screw/bolt which requires three or more mounting holes to be drilled absolutely accurately into a concrete surface.

 

[Doug]

I like to make my own keyhole plates they are very quick to make from stainless which then means I don’t have to worry about any corrosion. Commercially available ones will no doubt originate from China so another good reason to make my own.

As for drilling I find the Bosch expert masonry bits ideal, start drilling the hole on a non hammer setting before selecting hammer mode this allows for accurate drilling. https://www.bosch-professional.com/gb/e ... 05-ocs-ac/

 

[Pete Maddex]

I used some 3mm brass for the last ones I made, they didn’t take long to make.

Pete

 

[Cabinetman]

Just thinking if it’s only one pot of brushes that’s a wide shelf, you could have it with two rows of dovetails so that it goes across down and across.
Or have another shelf lower down with a scoop out of it for the brush pot to sit in?

 

[Mike G]

My only design comment would be to put a back on it. That means running a rebate around on the back of the carcase.

 

[Lurker]

If you are into skip diving, the hinges from plastic windows is an excellent source of stainless steel strips.

 

[Dr.Al]

How about a pair of French cleats?

That sounds like it would be quite hard to do & make look good. They would have to be very narrow cleats and they'd have to be set into the upright pieces. Or am I completely missing what you're getting at?

Just thinking if it’s only one pot of brushes that’s a wide shelf, you could have it with two rows of dovetails so that it goes across down and across.
Or have another shelf lower down with a scoop out of it for the brush pot to sit in?

I've read that several times, but I'm still not sure I follow. Any chance of a sketch?

My only design comment would be to put a back on it. That means running a rebate around on the back of the carcase.

Any particular reason? I'd left the back off based on a request from Carolyn (I think she wanted to see the colour of the wall - more like shelves than a cabinet).

 

[Malc2098]

How about a pair of French cleats?

That sounds like it would be quite hard to do & make look good. They would have to be very narrow cleats and they'd have to be set into the upright pieces. Or am I completely missing what you're getting at?

It would require a wooden strip screwed to the wall about the width of your cabinet. The strip has a large 45 degree chamfer inwards and downwards to the wall. The cabinet has the other 'half' of the cleat, fixed to the back of the cabinet at the top with the 45 degree chamfer fitting into the space created by the wall half. My whole workshop has shelves etc fitted this way.

It can be made by hand.

 

[Cabinetman]

A very poor sketch! No rubber to hand.

 

[Dr.Al]

How about a pair of French cleats?

That sounds like it would be quite hard to do & make look good. They would have to be very narrow cleats and they'd have to be set into the upright pieces. Or am I completely missing what you're getting at?

It would require a wooden strip screwed to the wall about the width of your cabinet. The strip has a large 45 degree chamfer inwards and downwards to the wall. The cabinet has the other 'half' of the cleat, fixed to the back of the cabinet at the top with the 45 degree chamfer fitting into the space created by the wall half. My whole workshop has shelves etc fitted this way.

It can be made by hand.

Ah I see. I've done similar for most of the stuff in my workshop. The problem I see with this is the open back. To my mind it would look a bit weird having a cleat running all the way across the back in plain view
- hence being confused as to how I could make a cleat that was hidden in the sides.

A very poor sketch! No rubber to hand.

I think I need to think about that a bit more - it's still not quite sinking in. I'll have a play in CAD and see if it makes any more sense.

 

[Dr.Al]

A very poor sketch! No rubber to hand.

View attachment 2

Is this what you were suggesting (sorry, too lazy to model the dovetails)?



It looks a bit odd to me, but I might just have missed what you were getting at.

I sent the following model to Carolyn and she likes it, so this might be a good option:

 

[Lurker]

Problem with French cleat goes away if you take Mike’s advice and fit a back.
Might look smart if you paint the back in a contrasting colour to the wall you are fitting it to.

 

[Tiresias]

Hum.

One of these beggars I assume.



I can tell you what I did (which may not help you much). Old set of shelf brackets that I ripped out as ghastly. Saved the bits and cut them down.

But, next time I wanted some: big box store, selling pine brackets with these fittings for under £3. Probably used the pine as kindling. Fittings repurposed as they say today.

Oh, yeah. Put a back on the cabinet. Paint it the same as the wall if necessary.

In fact I may well have a few of the plates left if you want. No cost, I would just have to find them.

But if you have a cabinet as you are proposing with these fixings, the failure mode is not going to be these plates. Fixing into the wall is going to be your prob.

 

[Lurker]

No added strength in the first, and messy to my eye.
Second is much better and I guess easier to make.

 

[Malc2098]

The french cleat works if the wall cleat is only as long as the inside dimension of the carcase (530-(18x2). The carcase cleat can be fitted inside, too. The carcase will then fit flush to the wall.

 

[Dr.Al]

No added strength in the first, and messy to my eye.
Second is much better and I guess easier to make.

Absolutely - I only modelled the first version to try to understand what Ian was getting at.

The french cleat works if the wall cleat is only as long as the inside dimension of the carcase (530-(18x2). The carcase cleat can be fitted inside, too. The carcase will then fit flush to the wall.

... but it'll still be visible (and ugly) if the carcase doesn't have a back. Or is there some way you're thinking of hiding it in a shelf?

 

[Malc2098]

No, I would make it from the same material as the carcase so it looks like it's supposed to be there.

 

[Just4fun]

I made a very similar shelf unit to hold teas, coffees and the like in our kitchen. I made the upright sides from pine and the shelves from oak, for no particular reason except it is what I had to hand and it sort of matched our kitchen units.

I mounted the shelves using a French cleat. I has worked well, although obviously tea and coffee doesn't add up to a lot of weight. The cleat is painted the same colour as the wall and just isn't noticed - especially if stuff on the shelf mostly hides the cleat from view.

I used half-blind dovetails on the corners so that no end grain is seen on the upright side of the shelves. I prefer that. The top & bottom of my shelf unit are not normally seen but if a midget or giant does happen to look at the bottom or top of the unit they will see what looks like half-blind finger joints. That is a bit odd, but as they aren't normally seen I don't care. I prefer it to having the joinery on view.

 

[Woodbloke]

I used some 3mm brass for the last ones I made, they didn’t take long to make.

Pete

I'd agree, they don't take long to run up. Brass is the preferred material but a bit of mild steel will do just as well - Rob