The garage looks like a graveyard of tools. Five dusty metal grinders hang in succession above an array of wrenches, screwdrivers and saws. Piles of old electric tools are scattered everywhere, and rows of c-clamps line beaten metal racks like a postmodern art sculpture.

It smells like warm wood shavings. An oldies radio station jingles in the background as the inventor traverses his workshop/garage in paint-splattered boots.

His name is Charles Grenier. It's probably not familiar, but the Hanford resident has landed himself in the history books after the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office awarded him a patent on April 10 for his invention that he believes could revolutionize the painting and contracting industry.

Originally from Providence, R.I., the vibrant, stocky man with piercing blue eyes and tattooed forearms eagerly demonstrates his creation.

Called the Third Hand, the isosceles-triangle-shaped device includes a tape spool in the back with a cutting edge at the front that points toward the palm. It connects to the inner-forearm with Velcro straps, allowing the user to maintain use of both hands.

The rudimentary wooden mock-up looks unfinished, but he hopes to find a manufacturer soon that will turn it into a plastic and metal timesaver ready for the consumer.

"Whenever I use something, I always try and figure out a way to make it better, or faster, or easier," said Grenier.

A large eagle medallion and a pair of thick eyeglasses swing from his heavy gold chain, and a thick East Coast accent turns words ending in the letter "R" into more of an "ah."

"My son is a contractor on the (Pacific) coast, and he uses this tool for every job," said Grenier as he quickly taped off a window as a demonstration of how his invention works. "He did a San Luis Obispo water treatment plant and said if he didn't have this here, it would have taken him two and a half days longer."

The device was designed with painters in mind who mask windows and other surfaces before painting. However, the 69-year-old retired painter and contractor said he sees many different uses, from military medics in the field to mothers wrapping Christmas presents.

"Before I invented this you were constantly chasing your masking tape around, leaving it on step ladders, leaving it on the job somewhere," said Grenier.

With 55 years of experience in painting and contracting, Grenier said he's worked jobs all over the United States. In Las Vegas he painted hotels. At California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo he painted residence halls. In Newport, R.I., he painted President Dwight D. Eisenhower's summer home at Fort Adams in the early 1950s.

He has lived in Hanford since 1996.

Grenier said the patent process involves a lot of time, patience and big bucks, mostly spent on lawyers and the patent application.

"Just because you get a patent doesn't mean there's a pot of gold at the end," he said.

He estimated he has spent more than $15,000 already, and may have to spend more as he solidifies a deal with a manufacturer that continues the product development and gets it ready for the market.

One problem Grenier and others who receive patents run into is finding a reputable company to work with in taking the patent and turning it into a product ready for the market. Some businesses prey on naive inventors, hoping to gain control of their patents for the least amount of money.

One company Grenier has been considering, American Ingenuity based in Baltimore, Md., said steps are taken to reduce the financial risk for the inventor and for the manufacturer, and to make sure the product is economically viable.

"We don't go ahead and take the ball and run with it," said Rusty Simpson, vice president in charge of new product development for American Ingenuity. "We expect the inventor to be the field general."

The company has machines that create three-dimensional prototypes out of plastic. Once a model is agreed upon, Simpson said, the next step is a license to manufacture agreement, followed by finding an appropriate sales outlet.

"We typically try to deal with independent stores, like Ace Hardware," said Simpson, adding that hardware outlets like the Home Depot make it very difficult for small, independent companies like his to turn a profit.

Occasionally, home-shopping networks like Quality Value Convenience, also more simply known as QVC, are used, said Simpson.

Grenier said he tries to remained grounded about the Third Hand making money, adding that if it comes to fruition in his lifetime, or if it helps his children and grandchildren, he will be happy.

"It's not a get-rich-quick overnight thing," said Grenier. "If (the patent) is all I ever get out of it, I'm happy."

He hopes that any money made off the Third Hand will raise funds toward three other ideas, but the inventor refuses to disclose too much information.

"I've got a fishing idea, an idea for a tailgate barbecue pit and another thing about mirrors for cars," he said. "I can't tell you too much about it. It's so simple it's pathetic, but once you see it, you'll want it."

The reporter can be reached at 582-0471, ext. 3043.

(June 2, 2007)