ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Conduit bending levels?

Average pipe job for my shop is ~4000'+.

Like I said, I have had them, and experimented with them only. Don't really use it, but wondered if others did. I have several other methods for the same effect, which are habitual by nature at this point. Can do most by eye better than with anything else just siteing down the side of the first bend. For more complicated, matching, or rolling bends I also use the line method.

Dnk.... "Something you can put pipe in and it will draw a line on one side of two sides of the pipe?" You only need one once you get some good notches on the bender.

(I have attempted to draw what I mean by notches )

A good chalk-line, not the ones that snaps a 1/4" wide fuzzy line with too much chalk.
Or, pencil/sharpie... Find the top of the conduit with the point, lock up your hand with a knuckle on the side, and side the point down the length of pipe you need to bend and a few inches more in both directions. Works really well with some practice.

The "silver stick" stuff is totaly unreliable. Often see the line go all the way around the conduit, what good is that?
Anyway, i too have often thoght about something to simplify drawing that line in the field.... Maybe it's time to invent one?

Reno... "Funny thing about bending pipe....the best "aids" seem to be part of the the job site!" Oh, sooo true..., unless what ever it is isn't square.

I"m begining to get ideas. You know those strait line lasers they are selling cheap in all the hardware stores nowadays? Maybe use one of those for "chalk line" along the pipe and just trace the line with a pencil. P.S. my pet peeve is sharpie lines on conduit. I allway's make my marks in pencil, and erase them after the bend is completed.

E57, I agree with the unreliable response on the silver stick. I used to use the printed words, till I found them going all the way around the pipe. The batches of the silver stick, were much better.

Maybe I got good batches at the time.

Anyway, the idea I had would draw a line straight down the pipe with either a heavy lead pencil, of even a sharpie that wasn't permanent. Something easily wiped off with Simple green on a rag.

I figure all I need is a colaspable 4" collar and some type of Dc motor as a feed system. You could put a stick at a time in and it would feed and mark for you.


Wouldn't it be cool if you could hook up a paint system like this too?

Think of the possibilities of running pipe in color?

I am just finishing a job, ran about 2500' of pipe, and of course scrapped some due to doglegs, and misbends on my part, but the line thing would of really helped with the rolling offsets, and the 4 pointers.


Thanks for the drawings, I'll tinker with the idea on the next job.

Dnk.....

"scrapped some due to doglegs"
Why throw them away, straighten them out, unless they're real bad.

Good way to straighten them out, is a good tweaking.

Lay offending bend on the floor, bowed side up. Then stand on the offending bend. Then lift, and release the conduit snapping it against the floor, until it makes the "right" sound. After a few years of doing it, you'll know what the "right" sound is. Or just check your progress.

Another method (on 30's - 90's) is to put your bender back into the offending bend, and lay it on the floor. Stand on the other bend, and use bender to tweak it. Of course this only works on 1/2 and 3/4 emt, everything else you're SOL.

For larger off-sets you may need a passer-by to stand on the bend.

I tryed some of the methods you described, but after playing with them, I decided to bend a new piece.

The heat was getting to me, and I was getting frustrated, probably due to dehydration.

Cut my losses and move on..


Dnk........

Back when I started we would use a short piece of unistrut and a magnetic torpedo level when we were useing a Chicago or 555 bender.What we do is fasten the strut to one side of the pipe plumb the strut bend roll the pipe 180 and repete the process. Never used a no-dog with a hand bender.