Is there any good videos on bending conduit?

Not that I know, but one should be made.

Greenlee/Texron has one that we've been using (for apprenticeship classes) for many years. It's probably 10 years old and is hosted by Wayne Lundquist and covers handbenders, ratchet banders and all the way thru the hi tech digital electronic stuff. It's done in segments so you can pick and choose which to show.
If you can't get it from Greenlee contact me and I'll make you a copy.
(stevemiller@mindspring.com)
Ideal also has one but it's not as good. I can make you a copy of that also.
The Jack Benfield video is about 20 years old but acurate and kinda humerous. It's available from EC&M bookstore but I'm not allowed to copy that ... sorry copyright stuff.

[This message has been edited by Steve Miller (edited 02-10-2005).]

I wasn't able to find any 'free' downloads anywhere, but then again I wasn't willing to go through the 1000's of Google results either I did however come across this instructional site you may be interested in:
http://www.porcupinepress.com/_bending/ConduitBending.htm

-Greg

Thanks guys

The video with the guy and his son bending conduit was funny. I think his name was Tim I couldn't even watch that video because I was laughing through the whole thing.

[This message has been edited by AndyP (edited 02-10-2005).]

I just wonder how useful a video would be. You sit and watch a bunch of stuff but how much do you retain? You can't refer to it when you are actually doing bends.

I would recommend something like the "Benfield Bending Conduit Bending Manual" I have a copy personally autographed by Jack Benfield. It's really all you need besides a bender and some sticks of conduit to practice on. When you are on the job it makes a good reference for when we forget some of the numbers.

-Hal

[This message has been edited by hbiss (edited 02-10-2005).]

[This message has been edited by hbiss (edited 02-10-2005).]

hbiss,
I agree with you on the Benfield book.
It's all you need.
However, I do believe it is available on video, as well.

I had one by Tom Henry of Code Electrical in Orlando FL. It was a help in learning how to figure shrinkage with different angles. And it covered back to back, stub ups 3 and 4 point saddles. I'd say it is worth the $. You can buy it over the net.

Actually hbiss has the right idea... the book is really good and 1/2" EMT is real cheap. Practice makes perfect ... except in the case of a few I work with

BTW Anybody know if Jack Benfield is still alive?

Dunno. His brother owns the supply house I go to. If I remember I'll ask next time I'm there.

-Hal

Yeah that's what I did I went out purchased a bender for 1/2 EMT and some 1/2 EMT conduit. We had a demonstration on it in class I didn't do to well because I had like 25 guys watching me and it made me very nervous. The third year students were laughing at me, but I played sports so I'm use to criticism lol. I'm going to be the best damn conduit bender they ever saw hehe.

I really like this one: ELECTRICIAN'S GUIDE TO CONDUIT BENDING by Richard A. Cox. He goes into great detail about the math involved in laying out accurate conduit bends. It may be TOO thorough for some people, but at the same time it is a great reference source and you can take it as far as you want to go. Jack Benfield's book and formulas are great too, but Cox shows you where those formulas come from in trigonometry. There are some great methods for pre-determining offset placement, laying out for bending 2 45's around an obstruction when a 90 won't fit, etc. Also laying out concentric and segment bends. The best way to make these techniques work is thru practice, with different types and sizes of benders, hand benders, ratcheting, electric---and also, bending rigid and having to thread it all together is another whole ball game.

THE ELECTRICIAN'S GUIDE TO CODUIT BENDING by Richard A. Cox

The tapes are expensive, but you can find them (and the various manuals) here

[This message has been edited by DougW (edited 02-12-2005).]

I usually suck at pipe bending but I just bent up about 100' of 1/2" EMT for lights around my pool cage,including stub ups, saddles, offsets and some twisties that don't really have a name (forming the pipe to the screen frame).
I used the tables on the Porcupine site Smokum posted up thread a ways and it really worked out pretty well.
Now I know what all those marks on the hickey are for anyway. The only thing I wish was that they had stripes on the EMT so you could line up bends along the pipe. I did have one that had a bunch of small bends to go around some stuff but somehow I got about 10 degrees off about half way down. I just cut it and put in a coupler so I could twist the pipe.
The wife was happy so I guess it worked