He set out a few years ago to put up a building with a steel pipe frame. Trouble was, after trying all the clamps he could find, he wasn't satisfied. So Tourtellotte designed his own clamps that worked so well be decided to patent them (U.S. Patent 5,961,248).

There are no holes to drill, no pipe threads, no bolts needed, and no welding. The clamps connect to make a right angle cross. Fabricators, Inc.makes and sells the clamps in many different sizes. The smallest connects 1/4-inch pipe to 3/8-inch pipe. The largest connects 4-inch to 8-inch pipe.

"Our clamps are more economical and work better than anything on the market," he insists, "in fact, most of the clamp sizes we make aren't available from any other source."

All you need to build with these clamps is a plan, pipe, a measuring tape, a pipe cutter and a wrench. "They can be put in place quickly and they can be loosened to adjust the pipes or to disassemble the joint, if needed. "That's something our main competitors can't do," he says.

Prices range from $2.10 for the smallest clamp to $41.70 for the largest. If you're interested in building with pipe, Tourtellotte will send a sample of a clamp holding two sections of 3/4-in. pipe, along with a complete listing of sizes available and prices. Send $5.00 for a sample and information.