# Bending 2'' emt...



## NolaTigaBait (Oct 19, 2008)

i don't know what you guys do for this(seeing that i can't afford a bender), but i needed a kick in a piece of 2'' emt...so, i call one of these "old-timers" and he tells me he can bend it by placing it on the tire of his van and the other end under the frame, put pressure on it and voila...a perfect kick(well, maybe not perfect), but it worked and it didn't look bad...any of you guys ever do this?


----------



## jayare813 (Mar 12, 2009)

just cut 45's and use couplings


----------



## nick (Feb 14, 2008)

NolaTigaBaiti don't know what you guys do for this(seeing that i can't afford a bender), but i needed a kick in a piece of 2'' emt...so, i call one of these "old-timers" and he tells me he can bend it by placing it on the tire of his van and the other end under the frame, put pressure on it and voila...a perfect kick(well, maybe not perfect), but it worked and it didn't look bad...any of you guys ever do this?

Well yes you can it has been done for many years and it works just fine but its only in a time when your destitute but desire to bend a kick only . Ive done it with 2 inch Rigid conduit many times and how its done take conduit place it between the semi trailers two tires rubber inner part and bend .This is not accurate but in a pinch it will work . With EMT its not a good thing it works with rigid but EMT it will kink unless your conduit is real good not cheap like they make today . Its also good for taken out a dog leg or a woo or truen up a conduit but just buy or if you cant rent a bender its a lot more fun then the tire trick . Been there once or twice and were not just blowen smoke your way . take care


----------



## NolaTigaBait (Oct 19, 2008)

well, i don't plan on using this is a regular thing, just thought it was neat that he was able to help me out in a pinch...it was a slight kick, not much


----------



## sparky970 (Mar 19, 2008)

NolaTigaBait said:


> i don't know what you guys do for this(seeing that i can't afford a bender), but i needed a kick in a piece of 2'' emt...so, i call one of these "old-timers" and he tells me he can bend it by placing it on the tire of his van and the other end under the frame, put pressure on it and voila...a perfect kick(well, maybe not perfect), but it worked and it didn't look bad...any of you guys ever do this?



Yep!!


----------



## Thayer (Sep 22, 2008)

Me too!!


----------



## KayJay (Jan 20, 2008)

Nope... but next time, if there is a welding and fabricating shop in your area, they usually have one of those 1/2" to 3" hydraulic pipe benders similar to the ones that you see advertised in Northern Tool. 
I have used one of these before in a pinch before. They don’t make NEC compliant radius bends, but if you keep your offsets to 30-degrees or less and space them further apart than you normally would, it should work out fine with no flattening of the thinwall.
What ever you do, don’t go to muffler shop. Try not to laugh…. but I’ve seen at least one guy do this on his job. 
It was sooo bad. :001_huh:


----------



## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Two words: Muffler shop.


----------



## RePhase277 (Feb 5, 2008)

MDShunk said:


> Two words: Muffler shop.


You beat me to it! I used a muffler shop the day before yesterday to bend an offset in a 2" rigid overhead mast.


----------



## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

> You beat me to it! I used a muffler shop the day before yesterday to bend an offset in a 2" rigid overhead mast


Was it rigid or IMC.

Once every few years I need an offset riser.

I remember bending 2" risers in the past with my old hydraulic bender but the last time I tried with IMC, it just kinked.


----------



## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

Some places rent them
Some contractors will bend for a price.
The tire can work but it can also end up looking like hack work
You can cut 45's but NOT MY CHOICE, I think it looks hacky.
use to be able to order 15's and 30's (I THOUGHT)

A Chicago Bender is not that expensive. and 1-1/2" and 2" pipe are always needed.


----------



## wirenut1110 (Feb 12, 2008)

MDShunk said:


> Two words: Muffler shop.


I was afraid to mention that but, I have a hydraulic "muffler" bender that works well with thin wall. I can't bend 90's but I can do offsets, kicks, etc.

It was a hell of a lot less expensive than a "conduit" bender.


----------



## goose134 (Nov 12, 2007)

I've never tried it with EMT, but I've bent rigid with a tree.


----------



## RePhase277 (Feb 5, 2008)

goose134 said:


> I've never tried it with EMT, but I've bent rigid with a tree.


I once had an offset in 2" IMC that needed just a tad more depth. Since I had it bent by a muffler shop a town away, I needed a quick solution. I found a telephone pole with a 6x6 post right next to it. It wasn't easy to bend, but with my back against the pipe and feet on the curb, she went, but my back said *crackle crackle crackle* all the way up my spine. Best it felt in years. To hell with the chiropractor!


----------

