# conduit bending what am i doing wrong



## drain (Jul 19, 2020)

hey guys been doing electrical work for about 5 years...... i feel like in terms of conduit bending fundamentals i have it correct in my head but when i try and apply those fundamentals nothing works. let me give a example im at work getting ready to bend a 11" 1/2 inch offset at 30 degrees ...for 30 degree the multiplayer is x2 so the marks should be spaced 23 inches apart correct? i put the the conduit in the bender with the first mark being on the arrow and bend to the 30 degree so that the line for 30 degree runs parallel with the conduit then i flip it over and place second mark on the benders arrow and again apply another 30 degree bend....... but when i go to measure my bend its at like 10 inches and then i have to go back and add more bend to each side to get it right mind you this takes me a,lot longer and get me a a lot of sideways looks from foremam......... WTH am i doing wrong?!?!







bender im using. thanks in advance for the help


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## JoeSparky (Mar 25, 2010)

The lines on your bender are slightly wrong or you are sighting it wrong. Most benders 30 degree is exactly 90 degrees to the handle. If you bend it on the floor, perfectly straight on the handle with a level floor will be exactly 30 degrees


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

Too bad GB doesn't make the benders with the bubble levels in them any longer........... Those would have been perfect for you. What you can do to make up for that tragedy is use a magnetic level to place on your bender handle , or .... put it on the pipe before the bend to be certain you have a level floor. That same company sells a magnetic digital degree level indicator at Home Depot for around $35 bucks. It's a bit harder to use on 3/4" and 1/2" than on 2" conduit but you can get used to using it , it will help you get the bends perfect each time.


Edit: Scuze me , it's Klien brand at H.D.


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## gpop (May 14, 2018)

"30 degree runs parallel with the conduit then i flip it over and place second mark on the benders arrow"

define what flip it over means?

I use the shoe upside down so the handles on the floor so its bend rotate pipe 180 with out removing it from the shoe then bend at next mark for a offset. How are you doing it?


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## JoeSparky (Mar 25, 2010)

GB is one that sells a bender that is not 30 degrees with the handle straight. This one is 45 degrees at straight.

If you just need a quick check of your angle, Bubble Level for android will do it for free
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gamma.bubblelevel













macmikeman said:


> Too bad GB doesn't make the benders with the bubble levels in them any longer........... Those would have been perfect for you. What you can do to make up for that tragedy is use a magnetic level to place on your bender handle , or .... put it on the pipe before the bend to be certain you have a level floor. That same company sells a magnetic digital degree level indicator at Home Depot for around $35 bucks. It's a bit harder to use on 3/4" and 1/2" than on 2" conduit but you can get used to using it , it will help you get the bends perfect each time.
> 
> 
> Edit: Scuze me , it's Klien brand at H.D.


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## HertzHound (Jan 22, 2019)

Bend more on the floor. Don’t use the degree marks on the shoe. Or at least after you know you have a thirty bent on the floor, pick it up and check where it is on the shoe. After a while you’ll “dial it in” on the shoe. Until then bend on the floor. Bend the first bend on the floor to your degree. Start the second bend over your shoulder, then without the conduit slipping, move it to the floor, and put your level on the piece that will be level when complete. Not the angled part of the conduit. 

Another problem bending in the air, is keeping the pressure close to the shoe. The farther back you hold the conduit, the easier it is to bend, but it’s not going to form into the shoe the same. That can throw off your numbers. 

Just adjusting the second bend can change the total offset quite a bit. Especially at twenty three inches apart. It doesn’t take much. 

Also Swanson Savage! I bought just the level vials and rare earth magnets a few years ago. I was going to make common degree wedges out of MDF and put the vials and magnets in it. Then polyurethane them up. Never got around to it.


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

....


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

If you make each bend the same way, even if the angle is not dead on, it will still be straight. 



As long as the bends are in the same plane, if they are not quite exactly the same, you can usually straighten that out when you strap it down. 



You can use a no-dog level to keep the bends in the same plane, but that only works if you're keeping the bender plumb. (I guess you could put a second no-dog on the bender handle but...) I find that difficult when bending in the air, but I get pretty good results without a no-dog just eyeballing it and sighting down the pipe when bending in the air.


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## u2slow (Jan 2, 2014)

drain said:


> hey guys been doing electrical work for about 5 years...... i feel like in terms of conduit bending fundamentals i have it correct in my head but when i try and apply those fundamentals nothing works.
> ....
> WTH am i doing wrong?!?!
> 
> ...


Its been almost a decade since I bent pipe so I'm out of practice. 

Seem to remember using the star for lining up marks instead of the notch. I also bent mostly with the shoe-up/handle-down to easily sight my bending as I'm doing it. Usually over or under bend (and fine tune as needed) until you get into the job properly.

Shoe-down bending was basically for 90's only. And/or fighting the almighty 1-1/4". :biggrin:


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## joebanana (Dec 21, 2010)

First, don't use a dull Sharpie, use a pencil, second your marks have to be right-on, third your angle has to be right-on. Any deviation will deviate your off-set.


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## gpop (May 14, 2018)

Working in a tight MCC with a helper and everything i bent was around a 1" out. Turns out my helper didn't now which side of the conduit to measure from.


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## farmantenna (Nov 22, 2012)

JoeSparky said:


> The lines on your bender are slightly wrong or you are sighting it wrong. Most benders 30 degree is exactly 90 degrees to the handle. If you bend it on the floor, perfectly straight on the handle with a level floor will be exactly 30 degrees


some benders this isn't correct. Have seen GB benders that are 45 deg with vertical handle. They usually will mysteriously disappear when I'm present.


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## JoeSparky (Mar 25, 2010)

farmantenna said:


> some benders this isn't correct. Have seen GB benders that are 45 deg with vertical handle. They usually will mysteriously disappear when I'm present.



Correct. That is why I said most . See post number 5


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## MotoGP1199 (Aug 11, 2014)

You are not putting enough bend(or angle) in your bends, you are bending at probably 25* or somthing(guess) and not 30*. Like stated above either your bender marks are off or your sighting is off. Use a level with a 30* level on it. If you bend at 30* or even close you should be within 1/4" or so. Some benders the mark has to be slightly more than level with the ground. You have to learn your bender, even benders form the same manufacturer are slightly different. This is why a lot of electricians don't like using other electricians bender even if they are the same brand/model. That being said I've never seen one off 1.5" on an offset that size. You are definitely sighting it wrong.


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## Breakfasteatre (Sep 8, 2009)

as others have alluded

if you want 11 1/2" offset at 30 degrees

your marks need to be exactly 23" apart 

and your bends need to be exactly 30 degrees

if you marks are right, then your bends are wrong

if your bends are right, then your marks are wrong

the multiplier is using triginometry to figure out where to mark the pipe.

If you want to bend precise offsets, you need to make precise marks and make accurate bends.

best bet is to use a scrap piece to bend a perfect 30 degree angle and then put it in the bender and see where it lines up. Make a new mark on the bender if you have to, then bend to that mark for each offset bend



in 11 years, i have only seen one guy who can do things by eye and have it bang on each time. he was a conduit savant

everyone else, accurate marks and bends and you wont need to fight the conduit when you put it up. A lot more important with larger conduit and rigid where you cant exactly fudge it into place


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## MotoGP1199 (Aug 11, 2014)

As for a pencil this is the best thing since sliced bread. I picked it up at lowes for 9.99 (they also have it on amazon). Its a mechanical pencil that has thicker lead for construction. It slides out like those break away razors. It comes with refills. No need to sharpen like carpenters pencils. It does have a sharpener if you want but the size of the lead is perfect the way it is. I use this daily for bending and mounting. The long snout and reach make it easy to mark small holes in deep boxes.

They also have a marker that I use for marking holes in some situations.

https://www.amazon.com/Dixon-14301-...lja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ&th=1


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## VELOCI3 (Aug 15, 2019)

I have the same bender and I tried the same bend. Came out to 11-5/8”


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## 5kv flash (Jul 15, 2016)

macmikeman said:


> Too bad GB doesn't make the benders with the bubble levels in them any longer........... Those would have been perfect for you. What you can do to make up for that tragedy is use a magnetic level to place on your bender handle , or .... put it on the pipe before the bend to be certain you have a level floor. That same company sells a magnetic digital degree level indicator at Home Depot for around $35 bucks. It's a bit harder to use on 3/4" and 1/2" than on 2" conduit but you can get used to using it , it will help you get the bends perfect each time.
> 
> 
> Edit: Scuze me , it's Klien brand at H.D.


GB BENDERS SUCK IN MY BOOK ...

Sent from my SM-A505U1 using Tapatalk


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

5kv flash said:


> GB BENDERS SUCK IN MY BOOK ...
> 
> Sent from my SM-A505U1 using Tapatalk


Doesn't anybody understand nuance and sarcasm? What planet are we on anymore?


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## 134sparky (Feb 27, 2014)

I realize it's it's an older thread, but you're just not putting enough bend in it if you're coming up short. Every bender is a little different, there are quite a few that I have to bend it past the 30 degree mark to actually get 30 degrees

Here's some hand bender tips no one asked for;

Bend offsets shoe up handle down. You're wasting time if you bend the first bend of an offset on the ground because you have to bring it back up to do the second bend anyway so you might as well start with the shoe up...and you're back will thank you later in life

Measure and check your bends against a wall instead of off the floor, again your back will thank you.

Instead of using the arrow just line up your marks off the end of the shoe. It's easier to see and line up.

If you're conduit is going above a drop ceiling or in a wall just get your measurements within a 1/2"...it's good enough. If it's going to be exposed don't be off by more than 1/4"...I can't stand it when I see an apprentice putting a level on a conduit that going to be behind drywall...I've threatened to throw their levels out a window

You don't have to put it back in the bender to fix it when you put too much offset in, just brace it with your knee and use your hands.

I never use a level with hand benders, it's too slow and the floors in these hi rises I work in are sometimes off as much as 1" over 4 feet so what is level going tell you?...just eyeball it


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## 134sparky (Feb 27, 2014)

One more...

Say you bend a 20" 90 degree bend on a full stick and want to know if it's over bent or under bent. Just stand the conduit up so the 20" section is on the floor, it's easier to eyeball the long end perpendicular to the floor instead of the short end. If it's off just stand on it and put a little more bend or take some out. No need to put it back in the bender


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