# bending conduit



## frank (Feb 6, 2007)

Bend PVC conduit with the bending spring over your knee. Put a cord in the eyelet of the spring in case it disappears into the conduit. It's easy.

You can buy ready made 90 degree angles. Some come with a side window that opens to ease cable pulling 

Frank


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## chrisb271 (Jul 6, 2007)

Using the spring makes it so much easier,You can always rub the area you wish to put a bend in,you find then it does bend some what easier.

Its just so easy now with the use of plastic or pvc,when i started out we had a piece of wood with a suitable sized hole in it to bend the steel conduit.

Regards 

Chris


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

I bend PVC offsets cold with the regular EMT/Benfield style bender. You need to overbend quite a bit, but makes fine offsets. If you cold bend PVC to 90 degrees with a hand bender, it will slack back to darned near 30 degrees, which is what you're after most of the time for offsets. I've never been able to cold bend past a 30 with this method. I've seen the spring benders, but Tab Faber recommended I save my money, so I did. Anything more than a 30 degree I just get out the hot box.


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

Humm ,, thanks for the tip MD really i never get a chance to cold bend the pvc pipes at all someday i will try that, normally i useally hotbend it all the time 


Merci , Marc


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## K&R (Jan 22, 2007)

I carry a heat gun on the van for those times when the box or blanket options are not available. It works good in a pinch. Got to be careful though because it will burn the conduit.


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## frank (Feb 6, 2007)

There are various grades of PVC conduit. This may account for the problems with poor 90 degree angles you experience Marc. There should be no need to use any other method to bend PVC conduit other than with a spring. UK electricians only use this method for all bends and offsets. Good pvc has a shiny surface. The cheaper pvc has a dull finish and also results in wrinkles on the inner bend of a formed bend. But if it is problematic then the proprietary manufacturers bends and inspection bends are best used,

Frank


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## te12co2w (Jun 3, 2007)

*JimR*

I did try some of those spring type benders. It just sounds way too good. It does seem to be easier to bend the 1/2" and 3/4" over my knee. I agree about the springback. There really is a lot, but it beats all the hot methods if you only have a few bends to make. Use the regular conduit bender on your truck.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

Any links to this spring bender. I hardly if ever run conduit much less PVC.


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## sparkysteve (Jan 23, 2007)

To me, nothing works better that a hot box and the corner of a room. Heat, bend, set in corner, and let cool. I have also put Pop-tarts in the hot box. :thumbsup:


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

brian john said:


> Any links to this spring bender. I hardly if ever run conduit much less PVC.


http://www.kraloyfittings.com/download/pipe_viper_kraloy.pdf


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## Gummi Bear (Aug 2, 2007)

I've made my own box heater in a pinch, using an old cardboard box lined with tin foil, and a space heater. Shove the pipe in the middle.

Lay it out in the Texas sun, and bend it with an EMT bender works good too like MD mentioned.

In a pinch, if you've got a couple of rags, you can shove the pipe in the exhaust pipe of your truck, and let it heat up that way, after a few minutes, it'll soften enough to take a bend. 

*a word of warning* don't leave it in too long. It'll stink for months. :whistling2: 

If you're doing several, build a jig with a few nails, and an old piece of plywood, to get consistent pieces.

I've always thought of the spring benders as a plumbers tool for copper. I've never used them for PVC. Clever idea though.


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## sparkysteve (Jan 23, 2007)

A propane torch works in a pinch too. Just heat it slowly and keep the torch moving. It's like roasting a marshmallow. A little brown is OK, but black is bad.


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

sparkysteve said:


> A propane torch works in a pinch too. Just heat it slowly and keep the torch moving. It's like roasting a marshmallow. A little brown is OK, but black is bad.


Those brown marks get an automatic red flag where I live.


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## sparkysteve (Jan 23, 2007)

I'll admit that the previously mentioned method happens more on underground or in wall applications.


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

AT Grimaldi said:


> I was thinking of bending a bunch of 90 deg and offsets up ahead of time to reduce onsite time - then later glueing them onsite.
> 
> 
> - ATG


You can put them in the oven @250 degrees for a few minutes. Use a cookie sheet to avoid grill marks.


PS. Do it when the wife is not home.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

In a pinch you can use truck/van/trencher exhaust as well, but the fumes may be a problem. Any source of heat will work.... I've even taken half a can of glue, poured it out on the ground and lit it up.


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

I only heat/bend PVC in a pinch.. Full pieces can aeasily be bent over your knee. Try and dig your trench with only slight/long bends. If short radius bends are required, just use the manufactured 90's and cut em in half for 45's. Yeah...I know . It's probably agaist some code to "remanufacture" the 90's but I am never concerned about something so trivial.

You can TRY to make a short radius 90 with a bender but it's a whole lot quicker just to pick one up out of the truck....and I think they are around a buck each.


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## Papa Smurf (Oct 5, 2007)

*A torch?*



sparkysteve said:


> A propane torch works in a pinch too. Just heat it slowly and keep the torch moving. It's like roasting a marshmallow. A little brown is OK, but black is bad.


Ok guys PVC stands for Poly Vinyl Chloride. when burned gives off chlorine gas. real bad for your lungs and not good for the enviroment.


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## Speedy Petey (Jan 10, 2007)

So don't breath while heating the conduit and don't do it 8hrs a day. :thumbsup:


BTW- I don't like the torch method either, I always have a heat gun in a pinch when the box is not around.


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## guschash (Jul 8, 2007)

I carry a heat gun on the truck and it works fine but I also just buy a box of 90's and 45's. Never try to cold bend them but next time I think I'll try. I have have already bent 4" PVC using the flip up window on a glass melting furance.


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## HighWirey (Sep 17, 2007)

On occasion I used the microwave to dry out my morning newspaper.
One day it wasn't dew or rain that wet the paper, but a cat peed on it !!!

GF kept me out of the kitchen for years . . .


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## HighWirey (Sep 17, 2007)

*Wow !*



MDShunk said:


> I bend PVC offsets cold with the regular EMT/Benfield style bender. You need to overbend quite a bit, but makes fine offsets. If you cold bend PVC to 90 degrees with a hand bender, it will slack back to darned near 30 degrees, which is what you're after most of the time for offsets. I've never been able to cold bend past a 30 with this method. I've seen the spring benders, but Tab Faber recommended I save my money, so I did. Anything more than a 30 degree I just get out the hot box.


You can bend an offset cold on PVC? I'm an old fart, but think I'll russell up a bender and try that trick . . .

Like the old saying goes "Old Too Soon, And Smart Too Late".
Film at 11 . . .


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

I've seen a device at the supply house to bend PVC cold by hand. They're made in different sizes, and look like garage door springs. 

http://www.kraloyfittings.com/download/pipe_viper_kraloy.pdf


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