# How to bend a box offset,,,,,,,,,,,



## HARRY304E

http://youtu.be/TWYvbqjLl2s









:laughing::laughing:


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## darren79

Wow what an ugly box offset, definitely not the easiest way to do it.


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## Big John

Whenever people talk about greenies who spent two weeks pulling MC cable before they started calling themselves "electricians", they're talking about this guy.


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## xdr5

WOW!! Looks like #hit on a white chicken!!


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## Big John

I like how the backwards mess he he picks up at 1:23 is very obviously not the same offset he's holding when the camera zooms in at 1:24. :laughing:


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## 360max

his first bend was 10 degrees :laughing::laughing::laughing:

..wonder if Lowes knows this video is out there?


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## Pete m.

Hate to admit it but I can't honestly say my first box offset was any better..:laughing:

Other than that I did laugh... There is no way I would post a video to demonstrate conduit bending if I had at least not perfected what was gonna be in the vid!!

Pete


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## sparky402

Holy cow ive been doing it wrong all this time. Does anyone set the emt down to make a box offset


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## Wirenuting

I can bend perfect box offsets with my 3/8 greenfield bender.


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## HARRY304E

360max said:


> his first bend was 10 degrees :laughing::laughing::laughing:
> 
> ..wonder if Lowes knows this video is out there?


They will now!:laughing::laughing:


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## HARRY304E

sparky402 said:


> Holy cow ive been doing it wrong all this time. Does anyone set the emt down to make a box offset


I did not know you needed all that foot pressure for 1/2" EMT..:blink::laughing:


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## CADPoint

He didn't use any set point, he didn't use the multiplier for ten degree to give
a length point for second bend point.

He did bend back againest the first bend and not away from the first bend!

Jezz - Louise...


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## 99cents

he's better than me. If I had to hire myself to bend EMT I would have to fire myself five minutes into the job.


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## 480sparky

To be fair, we must remember that he's using 10 degrees _on the Metric scale_. :laughing:


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## Ink&Brass

Good find! Haha, I'm terribly not capable of bending offsets on the ground unless I'm using one inch or larger and have to, so I cant really make fun of Mr Lowes here.


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## uconduit

I needed a good laugh, thanks


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## backstay

For twenty seven years, I and every electrician I know has been doing them wrong!


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## chicken steve

Reminds me of the time I had the unfortunate opportunity to run a crew who had never bent so much as stick of pipe.....

~CS~


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## fanelle

Wirenuting said:


> I can bend perfect box offsets with my 3/8 greenfield bender.


I have never seen a 3/8" bender nor a 3/8" piece of conduit.


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## Pete m.

fanelle said:


> I have never seen a 3/8" bender nor a 3/8" piece of conduit.


Note that he said 3/8" *greenfield* bender... In other words he was making a joke.

Pete


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## fanelle

CADPoint said:


> He didn't use any set point, he didn't use the multiplier for ten degree to give
> a length point for second bend point.
> 
> He did bend back againest the first bend and not away from the first bend!
> 
> Jezz - Louise...


I can't say that I have ever used a multiplier when making box bends. I just do back to back 10° bends and it's usually right on for most standard boxes. Do you really break into all that math for box bends?


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## Big John

fanelle said:


> ...Do you really break into all that math for box bends?


 If I'm doing a whole bunch that need to match, it's faster than eyeballing it.


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## fanelle

Pete m. said:


> Note that he said 3/8" greenfield bender... In other words he was making a joke.
> 
> Pete


Ha, I read right over that one.


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## fanelle

Big John said:


> If I'm doing a whole bunch that need to match, it's faster than eyeballing it.


I usually set a starting point for height so all the bends start the same distance from the box but I find once I get into a rhythm I can get pretty consistent bends.


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## jza

That was something else. He must be self taught.


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## FlyingSparks

Or... if your coworkers also suck at offsets you can buy this:

https://www.amazon.com/Greenlee-1810-Little-Kicker-Offset/dp/B001HWFRMG

We have done probably 500+ offsets with this tool in the last few months with our IP Video upgrade project.


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## chicken steve

Can I assume beating apprentices over the head w/benders is out....?

~CS~


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## fanelle

FlyingSparks said:


> Or... if your coworkers also suck at offsets you can buy this:
> 
> Video Link: http://www.amazon.com/Greenlee-1810-Little-Kicker-Offset/dp/B001HWFRMG
> 
> We have done probably 500+ offsets with this tool in the last few months with our IP Video upgrade project.


It seems like a great idea to get consistent offsets but it also seems like one extra thing to weigh down the truck.


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## backstay

chicken steve said:


> Can I assume beating apprentices over the head w/benders is out....?
> 
> ~CS~


 It's fine, just don't bend the bender. I like to use the pipe they screwed up though.


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## Big John

Oh, no. Not the kicker bender. Prepare for a 20 page argument.


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## CADPoint

fanelle said:


> I can't say that I have ever used a multiplier when making box bends. I just do back to back 10° bends and it's usually right on for most standard boxes. Do you really break into all that math for box bends?


I'd forgotten that a ten degree is for a box off-set. 
The give a show went way past 10°, "ok, in respects to the way I learned and use a bender"

If you quizzed me I'd fail the multiplier test, not that I don't know that they 
aren't required if one is going to be making an offset.

I have multiply bending app's in phone, and don't ask me for my phone number either, I can't remeber that either...


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## HARRY304E

Big John said:


> Oh, no. Not the kicker bender. Prepare for a 20 page argument.


:laughing:

Maybe lowes should sell them...:laughing::laughing:


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## daveEM

So I was looking at the ceiling at a octie box at 45 degrees to a beam. Then a 90 degree bend a couple of feet away.

Been 15 years at least. Went home and wire brushed the rust of my 1/2 bender. That took 15 minutes.

Handle on the floor, shoe in the air. offset, roll the pipe, 45 degree bend to follow the beam. I did measure for the 90 bend, get the M18 hammer drill out. Mount the pipe. Musta took a couple of minutes.

It's at a condo project I work at (250 units, underground parking). I look at that pipe and smile to myself every time I'm there.

Just like riding a bike... or maybe I got lucky eh? 

Never measured a box offset.


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## glen1971

I'm assuming that the "Lowe's Technique" instructor checked that he didn't flatten one side of the conduit by resting it on the floor... Not sure if he's heard of a "dog leg", but I'm guessin if he carried that piece of pipe onto a construction site he would... lol...


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## btharmy

I have never measured a box offset. If you need to do a bunch I also recommend the offset bender. Give a greenie a couple bundles of pipe and the bender and he will be done in no time. This is the model I use when needed.



It doesn't ride on the truck but I will stick it in the gang box if we need it.


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## 480sparky

chicken steve said:


> Can I assume beating apprentices over the head w/benders is out....?
> 
> ~CS~



Beating apprentices on the head with benders is not an acceptable ET punishment and will not be allowed.























_
Wrapping their necks _with the bender _handle_, however...........












:whistling2:





.


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## Wirenuting

fanelle said:


> I have never seen a 3/8" bender nor a 3/8" piece of conduit.


It comes free with a 1000' spool of 3/8" greenfield. 

I'll look tomorrow for the NSN. I'm sure it's listed next to golden hammer & brass toilet seat.


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## Wirenuting

I never mark or measure for a box offset when using a hand bender. There isn't a need. 
1) slip conduit into bender & meet up with shoe
2) pull until conduit is on floor
3) roll conduit and place shoe at edge of you last pull
4) give a pull until you see the offset. It will be about as soon as the conduit touches the ground. 
It's all no more then a tweak of a pull.


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## Hippie

I didn't realize that was going to be an official lowes video.. I bet that guy could tell you all about how to run your generator thru the dryer outlet too..


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## Hippie

Wirenuting said:


> I never mark or measure for a box offset when using a hand bender. There isn't a need.
> 
> It's all no more then a tweak of a pull.


Yep. If you feel the pipe bend that's a good sign there's way too much in it


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## HARRY304E

Wirenuting said:


> It comes free with a 1000' spool of 3/8" greenfield.
> 
> I'll look tomorrow for the NSN. I'm sure it's listed next to golden hammer & brass toilet seat.


:laughing:


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## Pete m.

HARRY304E said:


> :laughing:


Easy Harry... It really was a joke!!:laughing:


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## 8V71

It's all a clever marketing ploy so you will buy more pipe from them.:laughing:


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## five.five-six

8V71 said:


> It's all a clever marketing ploy so you will buy more pipe from them.:laughing:


Exactly my thinking.


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## StaticFilter

For my J-MAN test I wanted to be as precise and repeatable as possible so I practiced 10 degree bends 3 inches apart, I like the offset benders when doing a lot of exposed work


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## five.five-six

It's been so long since I have thought about it while making a box offset that it didn't really occur to me just how badly you could **** it up.


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## Pete m.

StaticFilter said:


> For my J-MAN test I wanted to be as precise and repeatable as possible so I practiced 10 degree bends 3 inches apart, I like the offset benders when doing a lot of exposed work


Look at post #30... Seriously... Don't go there. It won't end well.

Pete


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## five.five-six

FlyingSparks said:


> Or... if your coworkers also suck at offsets you can buy this:
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Greenlee-1810-Little-Kicker-Offset/dp/B001HWFRMG
> 
> We have done probably 500+ offsets with this tool in the last few months with our IP Video upgrade project.



What a monumental waste of money.


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## Awg-Dawg

Pete m. said:


> Look at post #30... Seriously... Don't go there. It won't end well.
> 
> Pete


Piperunner did his whole job using only a pipe kicker.

Really, they are that fast.

Anyone who doesn't believe that is a hack and a bed wetter.:laughing:


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## Pete m.

Awg-Dawg said:


> Piperunner did his whole job using only a pipe kicker.
> 
> Really, they are that fast.
> 
> Anyone who doesn't believe that is a hack and a bed wetter.:laughing:


Why you gotta go to the "bed wetting" place? 

Was that a personal attack? :laughing:

Pete


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## That_Dude

"What we're going to do is a nice 10 degree bend... (30 degrees)...  it, close enough for DIYers. :whistling2::laughing:


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## HARRY304E

Awg-Dawg said:


> Piperunner did his whole job using only a pipe kicker.
> 
> Really, they are that fast.
> 
> Anyone who doesn't believe that is a hack and a bed wetter.:laughing:


:laughing::laughing:


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## The Motts

Well, his last name _is_ *Carpenter*.


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## chicken steve

I trained one novice to mark all the pipes, bend all the pipes, then lay all the pipe bends in _spoon formation_ to see any inconsistencies 

That wasn't as fast as an offset bender, but how else was he suppose to learn?


~CS~


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## Chris1971

HARRY304E said:


> http://youtu.be/TWYvbqjLl2s
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> :laughing::laughing:


Thanks for wasting 2 minutes of my life.:laughing:


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## MTW

Chris1971 said:


> Thanks for wasting 2 minutes of my life.:laughing:


Shouldn't you be working? :001_huh::blink:


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## Chris1971

MTW said:


> Shouldn't you be working? :001_huh::blink:


I am working. Why aren't you?:001_huh:


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## MTW

Chris1971 said:


> I am working. Why aren't you?:001_huh:


Day off. :thumbup:


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## Chris1971

MTW said:


> Day off. :thumbup:


Why are you wasting time on here?:001_huh:


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## BBQ

MTW said:


> Day off. :thumbup:


Did you get banned from work? :laughing:


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## Chris1971

BBQ said:


> Did you get banned from work? :laughing:


Dennis gave him the day off.:laughing:


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## MTW

Chris1971 said:


> Why are you wasting time on here?:001_huh:


That same question could be asked of many people here. :whistling2:


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## MTW

BBQ said:


> Did you get banned from work? :laughing:


No, that only seems to happen to me on this forum. :jester:


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## BBQ

MTW said:


> No, that only seems to happen to me on this forum. :jester:


:laughing:

I worked last night, done for the week.


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## B4T

Don't know about you guys... but I always bend the front of the offset first... then the kick up that goes into the box connector..

This guy even has that wrong... :laughing:


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## Jlarson

Wirenuting said:


> I can bend perfect box offsets with my 3/8 greenfield bender.


I have one for 1/2" LFMC. 











:brows:


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## MTW

Jlarson said:


> I have one for 1/2" LFMC.
> 
> 
> :brows:


:thumbup::laughing:

Oh the horror, you didn't use a hard pipe method.


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## Jlarson

I was about too but I found someone left a bunch of extra flex up on top of the equipment and it reached where I needed it to go lol.


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## Wirenuting

Jlarson said:


> I have one for 1/2" LFMC. :brows:


You are "The Man"!!!!
That is the smoothest offset I've seen in years. 
I hope someday to be so talented. 
I would feel bad snaking a fish thru that. I would hate to scratch the inside all up. 

As soon as I can save up I'm going to the Farm & Fleet place and getting one of them LFMC benders. I hope the carry the hydraulic version.


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## HARRY304E

Jlarson said:


> I have one for 1/2" LFMC.
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 32644
> 
> 
> :brows:


You could have used a new connector:whistling2::laughing:


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## uconduit

B4T said:


> Don't know about you guys... but I always bend the front of the offset first... then the kick up that goes into the box connector..
> 
> This guy even has that wrong... :laughing:


I think even the video editor guy caught that one, no wonder why is was obscured by a title bar at (1:13).


IIRC the bends were about 25 degrees from being properly parallel --- but a skillful use of the crop function by the video editor person solved that problem (~1:26)


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## madbubba

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61ar3KxIsNL._SL1500_.jpg

perfect box offset every time lol


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## HARRY304E

madbubba said:


> http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61ar3KxIsNL._SL1500_.jpg
> 
> perfect box offset every time lol


:laughing: Welcome aboard..:thumbup:


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## madbubba

Thanks for the warm welcome hahaa

:thumbup::thumbsup:


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## 480sparky

madbubba said:


> Thanks for the warm welcome hahaa
> 
> :thumbup::thumbsup:



You need it.








:laughing:


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## robnj772

480sparky said:


> You need it. :laughing:


:sleeping:


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## HARRY304E

madbubba said:


> Thanks for the warm welcome hahaa
> 
> :thumbup::thumbsup:


You're welcome..:thumbup::laughing::thumbsup:


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## five.five-six

took the wife and kids to home depot so the kids could burn off some steam and run around without destroying our house. Every blister packaged HDX tool I saw on the shelf made me LOL @ this thread.


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## HARRY304E

five.five-six said:


> took the wife and kids to home depot so the kids could burn off some steam and run around without destroying our house. Every blister packaged HDX tool I saw on the shelf made me LOL @ this thread.


You teaching them pipe bending?:laughing:


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## five.five-six

HARRY304E said:


> You teaching them pipe bending?:laughing:



No, they already saw OP's video and they are now expert pipe benders.


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## Bkessler

five.five-six said:


> took the wife and kids to home depot so the kids could burn off some steam and run around without destroying our house. Every blister packaged HDX tool I saw on the shelf made me LOL @ this thread.


Is that an exaggeration or do you really let your kids "run around" Home Depot?


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## Hack Work

Bkessler said:


> Is that an exaggeration or do you really let your kids "run around" Home Depot?


Toby doesn't have any kids.


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## Dennis Alwon

I have not read thru the entire thread so I don't know if this was posted.

For those interested in bending pipe here is a Greenlee manual

http://greenlee-media.precis5.com/0beb34df7e9615cd43b9090989ca4848


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## freeagnt54

Haha that was pretty good.

I'll have to take a picture of a 3-point saddle I found at work today that has 4 bends in it.


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## papaotis

i used an offset bender years ago that was pretty well broke in. loved it so much that i bought one of my own. it sits in the shop because i can do it better by eyeball! maybe it just needs more breaking in?


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## 10492

Wirenuting said:


> I never mark or measure for a box offset when using a hand bender. There isn't a need.
> 1) slip conduit into bender & meet up with shoe
> 2) pull until conduit is on floor
> 3) roll conduit and place shoe at edge of you last pull
> 4) give a pull until you see the offset. It will be about as soon as the conduit touches the ground.
> It's all no more then a tweak of a pull.


Here is how I teach my guys to do box offsets...

We do not lay pipe on the floor for this, it's quicker in the air

1. Slide pipe in bender leaving 1/2" out of the shoe. If you slide it just to the edge, the bender crushes the edge of the pipe and connectors are hard to get on.
2. bend to 10 degrees keeping pressure on the pipe in the shoe.
3. rotate pipe 180 degrees, and slide pipe up the length of your thumb.
4. align straight an bend 10 degrees,
5. check and adjust.


FWIW


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## Wirenuting

Dnkldorf said:


> Here is how I teach my guys to do box offsets... We do not lay pipe on the floor for this, it's quicker in the air 1. Slide pipe in bender leaving 1/2" out of the shoe. If you slide it just to the edge, the bender crushes the edge of the pipe and connectors are hard to get on. 2. bend to 10 degrees keeping pressure on the pipe in the shoe. 3. rotate pipe 180 degrees, and slide pipe up the length of your thumb. 4. align straight an bend 10 degrees, 5. check and adjust. FWIW


Years ago we had a large batch of TW that was soft but beyond that I can't think of the last time I crushed an end. But dog legs are a PITA when the benders shoe is off. That's why I never let my benders out of my sight. People just don't care about others tools around here. 
Given second thought like you I stick about 1/2" beyond the shoe.


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## CFine

Now i know how a box offset and a 90  lol


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## five.five-six

Bkessler said:


> Is that an exaggeration or do you really let your kids "run around" Home Depot?


They love that place.


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## fistofbolts

why do a complicated offset when you can just use a mini!


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## five.five-six

fistofbolts said:


> why do a complicated offset when you can just use a mini!


What's complicated about a box offset?


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## 10492

fistofbolts said:


> why do a complicated offset when you can just use a mini!


Mini's are for amateurs..


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## fistofbolts

five.five-six said:


> What's complicated about a box offset?


nothing at all really


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## fistofbolts

Dnkldorf said:


> Mini's are for amateurs..


yes, I agree


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## 480sparky

five.five-six said:


> What's complicated about a box offset?



I recall someone here saying it takes 2 minutes to make one with a hand bender.


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## fistofbolts

480sparky said:


> I recall someone here saying it takes 2 minutes to make one with a hand bender.


at school we were taught to mark your p I pe at 3 and 9 inches.


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## madbubba

480sparky said:


> I recall someone here saying it takes 2 minutes to make one with a hand bender.



lol 2 minutes for a box offset. You would be fired in a heart beat


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## cultch

Dnkldorf said:


> Mini's are for amateurs..


Dumb post..sry


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## five.five-six

fistofbolts said:


> at school we were taught to mark your p I pe at 3 and 9 inches.


And what? Take a bong toke in between bends?


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## ponyboy

Dnkldorf said:


> Mini's are for amateurs..


In some areas of our plants we have to use minis. Laser dust and other crap gets stuck behind the pipe if you use one holes. Other areas get hosed down. But I'd say the great majority of my conduits end up on strut


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## fistofbolts

five.five-six said:


> And what? Take a bong toke in between bends?


no, why do you say that?


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## HARRY304E

fistofbolts said:


> no, why do you say that?



He's just kidding you,so don't worry..


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## fistofbolts

HARRY304E said:


> He's just kidding you,so don't worry..


thanks I was just confused, if he thought that was a bad method, they seem to turn out pretty good that way. i usually dont measure unless I have to match or several on the same wall


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## five.five-six

fistofbolts said:


> no, why do you say that?


I am just trying to figure out how to take 2 minutes to make a box oftest, bong rips would account for the missing 1:30.

Yes I was just kidding


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## 480sparky

five.five-six said:


> I am just trying to figure out how to take 2 minutes to make a box oftest, bong rips would account for the missing 1:30.
> 
> Yes I was just kidding



OK, I lied. It wasn't two minutes.








































It was three.

.


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## five.five-six

Why do you bend your box offsets with the bender wrong side down?



480sparky said:


> OK, I lied. It wasn't two minutes.
> 
> It was three.


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## 480sparky

five.five-six said:


> Why do you bend your box offsets with the bender wrong side down?


'Cuz EMT is usually sitting on the floor to start with.


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## markore

five.five-six said:


> Why do you bend your box offsets with the bender wrong side down?


Agreed, do it in the air, less noisy! :ninja: Stealthy pipe ninja. :thumbsup:

Nice shoes thou, thanks for the vid!


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## five.five-six

markore said:


> Agreed, do it in the air, less noisy! :ninja: Stealthy pipe ninja. :thumbsup:


I prefer in the air because it is much easier to see a dogleg before it happens.

ETA*

I didn't even notice his shoes, what does that say about where you and I fall on the kenzie scale?


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## cultch

I wouldn't worry too much about a dogleg on a box offset. 90% of the time anyway.

I do them in the air too tho.


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## Big John

The comments on Youtube:


> ...You shouldn't have the guy with zero experience trying to show others how to f**k up a stick of pipe.﻿


 :laughing:


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## markore

five.five-six said:


> I prefer in the air because it is much easier to see a dogleg before it happens.
> 
> ETA*
> 
> I didn't even notice his shoes, what does that say about where you and I fall on the kenzie scale?


It says that I was searching pretty deep for something positive to say about the *moderators* contribution to our little thread, and that my toady side got a little out of control.


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## five.five-six

I don't think that's what it says at all.


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## markore

Noted. I'm looking forward to telling my wife this story tomorrow. Im not expecting she'll go all McClary on this thread.


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## five.five-six

:laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## 480sparky

five.five-six said:


> I prefer in the air because it is much easier to see a dogleg before it happens........


You'll notice it's 'in the air because it's must easier to see a dogleg" in the video.........


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## five.five-six

480sparky said:


> You'll notice it's 'in the air because it's must easier to see a dogleg" in the video.........


I tried watching the video again but I was too distracted by your hansom boots to notice much of anything else.:whistling2:


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## chewy

five.five-six said:


> I tried watching the video again but I was too distracted by your hansom boots to notice much of anything else.:whistling2:


...ghey.


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## markore

So I told my wife: "Some guy in an electrician thread about bending pipe said I was ghey! Her response: "Tell him to stop hitting on you, and what the hell is a kenzie scale? (and she's a psychiatrist!?!) :laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## markore

Also I made her watch the video and she said "bricks, blocks suck!" :laughing: Just kidding.


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## five.five-six

markore said:


> So I told my wife: "Some guy in an electrician thread about bending pipe said I was ghey! Her response: "Tell him to stop hitting on you, and what the hell is a kenzie scale? (and she's a psychiatrist!?!) :laughing::laughing::laughing:


So, she never looked into DSM-II 302.0 when you were dating.

:laughing:


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## markore

Naw but she's only on the first year of phych residency, finished general already.

The DSM-II diagnosis of Sexual Orientation Disturbance (SOD) replaced DSM-II 302.0 in 1973. She's using the DSM-V now.



wikipedia said:


> Kinsey, Storm, and *Klein* are only three of more than *200* scales to measure and describe sexual orientation.[13] For example, there are scales that rate homosexual behaviors from 1 to 14, and measures for gender, masculinity, femininity, and transsexualism.[14][15]


The way you wrote your post sounds like you knew this already. :thumbsup: :laughing:


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## five.five-six

I've been exposed to it........


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