Robert Grago's invention began with a barn and a boy.

The boy was his then-3-year-old son, Jacob, and after watching him toy around with tiny PVC pipes and other small tools in their barn for two years, Grago got the idea for the “Little Guys Plumber's Pipe Set.”

“It gave me an idea to build this toy just by watching him fit these pieces together and build stuff out of them,” Grago said.

Once he took the blueprint for his toy set to Invention Technologies, Inc. (Invent-Tech) Grago became a bona fide inventor.

“When it comes to children's toys, this is different and it stands a chance on the market,” said Jorge Puertas of Invent-Tech's Press and Client Relations department.

Because the pipe set is still patent pending, Grago is unable to provide photos of his invention or describe it in too much detail. He compares the idea behind the set to that of Lincoln Logs, but with PVC pipe substituted for the interlocking blocks of wood.

“It's big enough not to be a choke hazard, and it's really good for hand-eye coordination and motor skills,” Grago said.

Along with the pipe pieces, the set will include connector pieces and angled fittings. A small wrench tool will be packaged with the components in order to assist with the construction process. Once each piece has been set in place, children can even pour water into the toy pipes and watch it flow through the system.

When Jacob played with the pipes in his father's barn, he had his own way of working with them.

“I could do stuff like make letters,” said Jacob, who is currently following his father's inventive footsteps by building a birdhouse in the barn.

Grago's invention is not only a response to his son's toy preferences, but his own. While growing up in Canastota, Grago would often use his Lincoln Log toy sets like a young construction chief.

The pipe set is currently being marketed to potential manufacturers who would mass-produce it and sell it in toy stores. Without knowing who will make the toy, Grago cannot guess when it may become available in stores.

“We've been taking it to trade shows, hoping someone's going to see the idea and jump on it and take it from there,” he said.

But once the toy set makes it to stores, Grago predicts it will retail at approximately $30.

“It's definitely something that can be easily made and is very affordable,” he said.

The process of perfecting the pipe set stretched over a year, during which Grago designed and drew sketches of the set. His 17 years of experience as a union electrician came in handy when he engineered a prototype. The process took Grago to Home Depot, where he gathered ideas on how best to produce a physical copy of his design.

“I'm mechanically inclined to do all kinds of stuff,” Grago said.

A TV advertisement for Invent-Tech offered Grago the next step his “Little Guys Plumber's Pipe Set” would take to toy store shelves. The company helps inventors like Grago turn their ideas into products that can benefit people in all areas of life. With their design capabilities, Grago refined his raw sketches for the set with computer software.

Grago has since taken his designs to friends with children. The parents told him that their kids' interests were piqued by the idea of the pipe set, and they asked where they could possibly obtain their own. This mini-field test has given Grago and Puertas confidence that the pipe set will prove as popular with all children as it did with Jacob.

“Once it hits, it shouldn't have any issues maintaining a good spot on the market,” Puertas said.

Once the toy is complete and taken in by children, Grago will likely continue to generate inventions for other products, such as a new type of camouflage for construction workers.

“I do have other ideas, but of course every idea costs money, so I figured I'd see where this one goes,” Grago said.

Staff writer David Wilcox can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net