2017 - Volume #BFS, Issue #17, Page #90
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Spring Clip Helps Build “Tool-Free” Structures
“It’s like building with an erector set,” says Wez Ligon about her patent-pending spring clip that makes it possible to put up greenhouses or storage sheds with 1/2-in. metal conduit without using tools.
  Her initial use for the clip was to create trellises and low tunnels for gardening. It soon became apparent that the spring clip can be used to create all types of structures as well as for everyday use around the house.
  Simply squeeze the ends of the metal clip to slip in pieces of conduit; then release. The tension of the spring tightly holds the conduit in place.
  The Almont, Mich., hay farmer got the idea while looking for ways to market hay that had been rained on.
  “I found the solution in hay bale gardening and I’ve been teaching the technique for several years,” she says. With no weeding and very little labor, it’s ideal for people who physically can’t do traditional gardening.
  To improve hay bale gardens, Ligon wanted to add trellises for tall and climbing vegetable plants and low tunnels to extend the season. That was the impetus for developing the spring clip to connect pieces of conduit to build frames.
  “Not only does the clip act as a fastener, it acts as a hinge as well. It’s great for building foldable structures that can tip up and have scissor doors,” Ligon says.
  The structures run the gamut from a mobile chicken pen to a covered dog run to a school bus shelter for children. The clips can also be used for hanging plastic tubing or holding wire reinforcement in place when pouring cement.
  She has created plans for several projects including a hangar for a grow light, a garden arch, and a low tunnel, which she plans to share on an open forum.
  In the future, she plans to manufacture larger metal clips for bigger diameter tubing. Check out a video of the clips in use at www.farmshow.com.
  Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Wez Ligon, Wez Products LLC, P.O. Box 688, Almont, Mich. 48003 (ph 810 706-0765; online web store wezclip.com; wezproducts@yahoo.com).


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2017 - Volume #BFS, Issue #17