# PVC Bender



## Speedy Petey (Jan 10, 2007)

I have a plug in box for up to 2". I've seen the propane ones but have never used one.

They are all damn expensive.


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## davis9 (Mar 21, 2009)

Have a Hot box here too, I got a couple of the Pipe Vipers for 1/2 and 3/4 too for cold bends work well.

Tom


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

I like the Greenlee 1/2" to 2" electric heater.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Every outfit I worked for in the past seemed to prefer hot boxes. Within months, they were beat beyond use.

I prefer blankets myself, as 99.99% of my bends are one-at-a-time.

Hot boxes are ideal for production work.

I have, when necessary, used a propane torch, started a can of glue on fire, even the exhaust of the trencher.


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

480sparky said:


> started a can of glue on fire,


 
This brings back some funny memories.:laughing:


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## captkirk (Nov 21, 2007)

I have a blanket for 3-4 inch and a hot box. but I have used the hot bends in the past with other employers and let me tell you, it is worth every freaken penny. Nothing comes even close to the amount of flexibility and time it saves you. Im kicking myself for not buying it months ago. I just finished a pretty big pvc job and im kicking myself for getting a blanket instead. The blanket was 400 bucks and I wasnt really thrilled with its performance.
But on another note the hot bends takes some time to get used to. Like if your heating up a stick of 1 inch ( or what ever size) if you just leave it on the ground in one spot you will burn the bottom of the pipe from the carry over heat the ground absorbs. After you burn a couple of sticks you will get the hang of it.
Another great thing about it is you can pretty much take it anywhere with you without needing electric. You can get up close and personal in trenches, and get it in some real tight spots.
My favorite thing about it is you can (what I like to call) "Noodleise" pipes from 1/2" to 2 " meaning you can heat the whole stick (taking care not to get to close to the bell ends, as it will deform under alot of heat) and turn it into a hot, soft, pliable noodle and conform it into what ever shape you need to. 
Its also a good idea to have some water on hand so as to quickly cool the pipe and not have to sit there and wait.
If you have to make a really tight bend and kinking is going to be a problem you can fill the pipe with sand and seal off the ends with tape, heat the pipe and I can almost guarantee you can get that pipe into the tightest 90 you ever saw. 
The only draw back to this beast is if you are bending anything over 3 inch it will take alot more time and fuel to properly heat it so you can bend it without kinks. If you seal off the ends this will greatly shorten the time needed but it is still a little more challenging. 
And if you need to bend 5 inch pvc you will pretty much need two of these to properly heat the pipe in a reasonalble amount of time. 
The reason it is so expensive is because they know what a fantastic tool it is. 
If you happen to do a lot of PVC work this tool is a MUST. Like I said Im kickng myself for not getting one months ago. If I had it on my last job I would have totally shaved off hours on my work. 
OH and the best thing of all with this tool is in the cold winter days it becomes a great personal heater....


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## jbfan (Jan 22, 2007)

I used a customers gas grill one time.
I carry a heat gun, but I do little pvc that the store bought 45's and 90's can't take care of.


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## kbsparky (Sep 20, 2007)

preacher said:


> Anybody using a hot bend for pvc. Basically a "special" torch using propane. Read some good things about it. Over $800.00 to purchase. ...


I use this torch, same one we use for heat shrink. Costs about 1/10 as much.:whistling2:


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## heel600 (Oct 31, 2007)

preacher said:


> Anybody using a hot bend for pvc. Basically a "special" torch using propane. Read some good things about it. Over $800.00 to purchase. Thanks, Brian


 
It's more than $800 (or was when I bought it).

I LOVE IT!!!

You can bend in place. You can fix bad bends. You can bend multiple small pipes (up to 1") at one time. I'll bend 4 3/4" at one time.

It takes about 45 seconds to bend 1 3/4 PVC in summer. A little over 1 minutes when it's colder.


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

I have a 1/2 to 2'' hot box that is 25 yrs old. Only problem I ever has was the switch wire broke off. Still works great and heats water for instant soup on a cold miserable day :thumbup:


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## nick (Feb 14, 2008)

*Peanut Oil Bath Heaters / New way to cook you pvc*

Well we have blanket heaters. big 6 inch greenlee box heaters and the propane guns . We mostly use the old style propane oil bath heaters called the canon heater for bundels of 3/4 or 1 inch to be bent at one time we put 100 feet of pvc in it at one time and bend all ten sticks at one time on a jigg table .We use peanut oil now in our cannons its EPA SAFE ! we also have a proto box heater that a company called JENCORE ECT has just came out with its not on the market yet but its fast we kinda know the inventor . the propane and oil bath types are the best heat is applied around the conduit evenly ,the electric box heaters are not as good as they apply heat on one side not a good thing you need total heat inside and outside to bend conduit just my thinking . take care be safe


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## preacher (Mar 15, 2008)

*Hot Bend*

Sounds like hot box is as good as the maker says it is. Really like the idea of not needing electric on site too. We do alot of pools so I'm gonna take the plunge and buy one. Really appreciate the info. Thanks, Brian :thumbup:


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## calimurray (Apr 29, 2007)

we use a map gas torch to bend are pipe by hand I also use a propane tank for a grill with a larger flame for bigger pipe we dont use much pvc though.

I 'd rather bend pvc myself then by 90's cause you make less drastic bends bigger sweeps.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

preacher said:


> Sounds like hot box is as good as the maker says it is. Really like the idea of not needing electric on site too. We do alot of pools so I'm gonna take the plunge and buy one. Really appreciate the info. Thanks, Brian :thumbup:


All hot boxes I know of plug in.........


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## nick (Feb 14, 2008)

*Full 10 foot with 90 bent on end !!*



calimurray said:


> we use a map gas torch to bend are pipe by hand I also use a propane tank for a grill with a larger flame for bigger pipe we dont use much pvc though.
> 
> I 'd rather bend pvc myself then by 90's cause you make less drastic bends bigger sweeps.



Well we dont install or purchase 3/4 in or 1 in pvc factory 90s!!
Heres why when you install underground conduits on a large slab the other trades hit or damage your conduits.

Next the skreet machine used on most slabs today and the concrete finishers hit or damage our electrical conduits normally on every pour. 

So we install a full bent no coupling conduit it does not brake it bends when hit!! you dont have to worrie about a factory 90 and coupling splitting apart it gives bends when hit !! problem solved its not coming apart.

And we never use a pvc coupling under ground unless its the last option we have bells only rule one . Best to ya


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## Jeff000 (Jun 18, 2008)

nick said:


> Well we dont install or purchase 3/4 in or 1 in pvc factory 90s!!
> Heres why when you install underground conduits on a large slab the other trades hit or damage your conduits.
> 
> Next the skreet machine used on most slabs today and the concrete finishers hit or damage our electrical conduits normally on every pour.
> ...


Besides being hard to read I think I know what you are talking about. 
But if someone hits rigid PVC hard enough to break it then the coreline will break too. 
We use corline in slabs all the time, have close to a million feet of it in the project I am on right now. But we use factory pvc 90s for the stub ups all the time. Coreline breaks too, when its cold it breaks real easy, enough that we have someone watch the pour to fix breaks as they happen, once its covered they almost always survive. 
Almost all the other PVC I have done has been with factory pre fab bends, the few other bends were done in the trench with a tiger torch, worked like a charm, just have to make sure you don't start the pipe on fire.


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## eds (Mar 21, 2009)

We have either used a propane hand torch for small pipe and a salamander for the larger pipe.


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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

nick - what do you use for the 90's in feeder runs underground - i have used rigid because it was explained to me that long runs of wire cut into the 90's and mess up the whole pull


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

nolabama said:


> nick - what do you use for the 90's in feeder runs underground - i have used rigid because it was explained to me that long runs of wire cut into the 90's and mess up the whole pull


 That is very posible. I use ridged 90's on the long run's my self.


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

eds said:


> We have either used a propane hand torch for small pipe and a salamander for the larger pipe.


 
Hey, welcome to the forum.:thumbsup:


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## nick (Feb 14, 2008)

*3m tape bitiumis paint lots of fun !!!*



william1978 said:


> That is very posible. I use ridged 90's on the long run's my self.



Well William Rigid 90s always !!!Soooo that rope doesnt cut thur that 90 elbow you know what i mean . 
Most projects we do half are all rigid underground to all pvc underground it depends on the length of pull the specs on project and what were doing that year . 

And some jobs all the conduit underground must be 100% rigid which we them rap with 3M tape with 1/2 lapping the entire length of the conduit. then the rigid coupling must be black jack bitumis paint lots of fun we always have lots of fun at work .
All conduits are painted thur slab 4 inches on rigid stubs any change in direction is 20 foot sweep on duck banks no less . Nolabama its not the wire that cuts its the pull string and the smaller ropes used to pull in that big rope it burns right thur that pvc 90 on them over 500 foot runs then when you pull in the wire the rope it cuts deeper and when that final 25 foot doesnt come you know its all over .
We only use the double braided rope nylon cloth white looking rope Take care best to yas


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

nick said:


> Well William Rigid 90s always !!!Soooo that rope doesnt cut thur that 90 elbow you know what i mean .


 
Yes that is why I do that. We run mostly pvc in the slab. Very few jobs up here that require all metal conduit underground.


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## nick (Feb 14, 2008)

Well we do some high spec projects and the engineers seem to think we need rigid why i guess its the soil down here .
But i think pvc is better then rigid and i mean better as far as longer life and easy to install labor saved. 
Maybe someone will invent a pvc elbow with a metal strip inside it to keep it from getting cut what ya think william lets get a patent on that ? TaKe CaRe BeSt To YaS


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

nick said:


> Maybe someone will invent a pvc elbow with a metal strip inside it to keep it from getting cut what ya think william lets get a patent on that ? TaKe CaRe BeSt To YaS


 
Yea, and maybe we can quite twisting wirenuts for a living. Sounds to good to be true.


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## nick (Feb 14, 2008)

Well William weed have ta give it to condux or one of them bigg boy conduit manufactures i kinda know what happens when you come up with a good idea it cost lots of money and you got to do lots of work with no results and everyone thinks your nuts .So ill pass you can file for the patent do you do lots of commercial work if ya do check out my tools go to Jencore .Net tell me what ya think William i like maken tools its my nite job . take care best to ya


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

nick said:


> .So ill pass you can file for the patent do you do lots of commercial work if ya do check out my tools go to Jencore .Net tell me what ya think William i like maken tools its my nite job .


 
Yes, large commercial jobs is most of what I have ever worked on. Going to check out Jencore.Net :thumbsup:


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## nick (Feb 14, 2008)

Well only large commercial electrical contractors purchase my tools i keep a low profile on this web site not to advertise. But just thought you might like to see a new way to measure conduits no one even knows iam selling this no one goes to my web site its by word of mouth that i sell these tools its a hobbie now . lots of time maken tools thur the years i just made a proto pvc hot box that heats pvc in seconds ive got the patent on it now but the funds i dont have to actually manufacture it now we use it at work 4 inch pvc in 10 seconds or less its a induction pvc hot box but its for high production pvc bending not your small projects . best to ya


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

william1978 said:


> Yes, large commercial jobs is most of what I have ever worked on. Going to check out Jencore.Net :thumbsup:


 
Just checked out you product it looks like it would work very well. Have you had many sales? Did you invent those yourself?:thumbsup:


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

Hey Nick, who do you work for?


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## nick (Feb 14, 2008)

Well i work for TCE here in central florida , and yes i invent and manufacture my own tools in my shop i work as a electrician by day and by nite i build my tools in my shop lots of fun. I even own the molds to make the parts 
Do i sell them not as many as i would like to , since most electrical contractors need a demo to see a new tool and i have no funds to go out and sell these , My web site is a waste of time no one ever goes there its like i dont even have one . We have sold to some bigg contractors but it was a sale made thur a fellow electricain but not my web site . Funny thing is ive got more tools but no way to make them i guess my job as a electrician same company for 26 years been in the trade since 1971 is what i have left to look back at thats the way it is in america the bigg guys win the little guy still tryin . take care best to ya


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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

nick , you familiar with knight electric down in tampa?


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## nick (Feb 14, 2008)

Well Nolabama , iam not sure name doesnt ring a bell ,but i have worked in orlando for many years same outfit dont get out of orlando much we keep busy here lots of work .


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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

black trucks with a knight with a lightning bolt for a lance - their engineer Don Haynes has been on site at our job for 2 months now

anyhoo ... great engineer and i dont say that about a lot of engineers


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## paul d. (Jul 13, 2008)

i think this has been mentioned before, but have you guys used " MULE TAPE "? its a flat pull/measure rope. works great for pulling rope in big PVC. wont burn thru. dont know the mfg'er. and those factory long radius 90's make pulling lots easier. they're usually spec'ed on waste/water plat duct banks. we do lots of em.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

paul d. said:


> i think this has been mentioned before, but have you guys used " MULE TAPE "? its a flat pull/measure rope. works great for pulling rope in big PVC. wont burn thru. dont know the mfg'er. and those factory long radius 90's make pulling lots easier. they're usually spec'ed on waste/water plat duct banks. we do lots of em.


I get all my mule tape slightly used. Whenever a raceway is bored, they install it in the pipe. I pull my wire or rope with it, and save it.


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## paul d. (Jul 13, 2008)

great stuff. amazing how many times it can be used. better than 1/4 " poly rope.


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## nick (Feb 14, 2008)

Well Paul its good stuff and yes its better than polyline pulline but if you have say 250 conduits on site and need to measure all those feeder lengths which would you use a mule tape or thin true tape from greenlee ? take care


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## paul d. (Jul 13, 2008)

yeah nick, we gennerally blow in poly string and then the mule tape. usually one measure string in a duct bank works. and re-use the mule tape. actually i think the mule tape is not too expensive.


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## paul d. (Jul 13, 2008)

1250 lb. -3000'-$150 just google " mule tape ".


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## nick (Feb 14, 2008)

Paul what if you had a tool to measure everyday the length of any conduit everytime you blew in a polyline or if you vaccumed in a polyline string would you like that ? And never had to buy measuring tapes again ?


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## paul d. (Jul 13, 2008)

nick, my good friend, would you just happen to know of such a tool ? :whistling2:


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## nick (Feb 14, 2008)

Well paul you knew i just had to ask you that question we cant advertise like everyone else online so i cant say it .take care paul


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## paul d. (Jul 13, 2008)

send pm


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## user5941 (Mar 16, 2009)

I use a small counter like the ones used to measure off wire ,just insert the tape zero the counter and pull the line into the pipe


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## nick (Feb 14, 2008)

well rewire how fast can it go meaning how fast can you pull ?


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## user5941 (Mar 16, 2009)

it works as fast as you can vacuum the line into the pipe


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## nick (Feb 14, 2008)

Well Rewire you use a mechcanical counter to measure conduit length and it is accurate at any speed ?

How do you account for slip or stretch in polyline line 
do you use polyline ?

Iam interested in your measuring conduit that way on most jobs we measure hundreds of conduits with a 120 lbs big air compressor on long runs we blow or use a vaccum for short runs with polyline. 

We get a measured length pretty fast with the tool i use .

As the tool locks in the the line it can measure 1000 feet per second its accurate to 1 foot . 

most people dont think about the realism of measuring with a string or a rope or mule tape as it has stretch and is not accurate .Yes measure tapes are not accurate when reused over and over !

Heres why take true tape or mule tape it is not accurate if you reuse it over and over as electricians do measuring conduits each day it does stretch 1/8 to 1/4 of a inch per foot no one ever looks at it we dont care at work . You can be 2 feet to 5 feet off with mule tape ever wonder why some runs just make it, its because of all that extra footage electricians add to it to be safe . 
We are talking 500 foot runs not you small stuff 

Take mule tape lay it down take a mechcanical ruler next to the one foot increments you will find it has stretched by fractions of a inch now multiply by 300 feet or 400 feet = lots of error ? But your short in length !!

Think stretch 1/8 inch times 100 feet or 1/4 inch times 100 feet . = lots of extra footage right !! Its actually less of a measurement you have a loss in footage due to stretch . So one must account for this loss i made a tool that does that it accounts for slip it gives a 2 foot error for your add on for 90 elbows it measures at any speed and saves time once the polyline is in pipe your done . 
It corrects for slip and stretch.
I also had a mechanical counter that was my first tool it failed at high speed runs ,basically mecahanically gears burnt up after many air compressor measured runs ya know over 350 foot runs that speed is just too fast for a mechanical device . Rewire you bring back memorys of making my tool if you have time go to Jencore .net i kinda have a second job making stuff for electricians. And work as a electrician in the field each day take care best to yas


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