# bend feeders into lugs ( neatly)



## g-alberta (Dec 1, 2012)

Ive seen a lot of pictures of gorgeous feeders terminating into the lugs. Is there a trick. I always just use the hole in my crescent wrench as a bender and it gets decent results but nothing of the caliber seen in some photos on this site. Anyone have any tips?


----------



## Sparky J (May 17, 2011)

Rackateirs has a wire bender you use with a socket wrench it works for me. I think Klein had one like a wrench give it a minute someone will post pictures i can't.


----------



## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

If the wire's big enough, I use an EMT hand bender.

Greenlee makes a wire bender as well.


----------



## mnelectrician (Dec 1, 2008)

I use my handle of my hacksaw to bend wire.


----------



## Rollie73 (Sep 19, 2010)

480sparky said:


> If the wire's big enough, I use an EMT hand bender.
> 
> Greenlee makes a wire bender as well.


I thought I was the only one who has bent bigger wire like 500 and 750 mcm's with my conduit bender....:laughing::laughing:

I have the rack-A-tier wire bender as well but a piece of PVC that has been filed down nicely on the inside works well too. The rack a tier bender is only good to about 250 MCM....IMO


----------



## drumnut08 (Sep 23, 2012)

greghladunleblanc said:


> Ive seen a lot of pictures of gorgeous feeders terminating into the lugs. Is there a trick. I always just use the hole in my crescent wrench as a bender and it gets decent results but nothing of the caliber seen in some photos on this site. Anyone have any tips?


Brute strength . Grunting and groaning helps immensely ! Never found a cable bender that didn't Bend them at too tight a radius and mar the insulation . A hand bender does work decent too , if you've got the room , which usually isn't the case


----------



## Bbsound (Dec 16, 2011)

I just grab them and bend em'

Grrrrrr!!!!

:icon_mad::icon_mad::icon_mad:


----------



## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

I use 2of the Rack-A-tiers and they bend 350's.


----------



## drumnut08 (Sep 23, 2012)

Wirenuting said:


> I use 2of the Rack-A-tiers and they bend 350's.


I'll have to check those out . Last ones I tried were greenlee ratcheting , and I wasn't real pleased with the results .


----------



## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

drumnut08 said:


> I'll have to check those out . Last ones I tried were greenlee ratcheting , and I wasn't real pleased with the results .


They were a bear to use. 
I had a breaker bar and ratchet and it was a hard bend into an old 6" trough.


----------



## eejack (Jul 14, 2012)

The best trick is to leave the wires long at first. The extra length gives you extra leverage to shape the wire.

When I use a wire bender I use the below...and I wrap a rag around the wire to minimize the damage. Heavy steady pressure, not quick jerky bends. Think of it like concentric bending on conduit, lots of slight bends to make up a grander sweep.

Like everything else, practice on scraps when you have the opportunity.


----------



## 123electric (Jun 3, 2012)

Come on guys seriously, anything better than that? Mickey Mouse emt benders and rack a tier toy. 
How about the real deal. Truly the master of all wire benders is the Greenlee model 800 hydronic bender good up to 1000 McM paired with the 1725 foot pedal Pump. It's is how all us old timers here make open bottom switch gear look like art. Isolating phasing helps too.


----------



## 123electric (Jun 3, 2012)

Spell check on "hydraulic" in previous post


----------



## piperunner (Aug 22, 2009)

Well before all the new tools of today we made our own wire benders you need a small tool to fit inside the gear i like to see that hand bender in switch gear or getting 750 to fit in a hand bender must be fun getting it off the wire after a bend LOL . Just weld then grind it smooth duct tape and your ready you can bend easy looks like pipe work when your done the one on the right is cut open so you can roll it slide it off better ive had these for 30 years and they are the best tool and it didnt cost me a dime .I have made others with angled bent heads offset heads for tight applications made for SQ or GE junk .


----------



## 123electric (Jun 3, 2012)

Pipe runner-
Greenlee also makes a small one used with a ratchet that actually rolls with the wire for smaller wires as show with your smaller wires. When it is bent to a full 90 it opens further for east removal. Same goes for there model 800. I agree some manufacturers clearances are tight, I have never had an issue removing there tools after the bends are made. Greenlee's specialty is manufacture conduit and wire benders.


----------



## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

For what it is worth the hydrulic wire benders will produce a bend that is less then the minimum radius allowed by the manufacturers which makes it a 110.(B)(3) issue.

I am not saying I have not used one, or telling you what you should do. Just letting you know a sharp inspector could make it a problem.


----------



## ponyboy (Nov 18, 2012)

Someone will probably raise hell but I've only ever used a piece of 1 1/4 emt to bend 750s. It worked


----------



## Linhawk (Apr 13, 2012)

I use two Klein wire benders and an occasional piece of 1 1/4" PVC. I had a Greenlee hydraulic unit for a while but I hardly ever used it, so I sold it on ebay.


----------



## 123electric (Jun 3, 2012)

BBQ said:


> For what it is worth the hydrulic wire benders will produce a bend that is less then the minimum radius allowed by the manufacturers which makes it a 110.(B)(3) issue.
> 
> I am not saying I have not used one, or telling you what you should do. Just letting you know a sharp inspector could make it a problem.


The Greenlee 800 model keeps you in compliance with bending radius. Deflection is something that inspections should keep an eye on as damage to the wires often can happen to insulation.


----------



## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

123electric said:


> The Greenlee 800 model keeps you in compliance with bending radius.


I am going to have to disagree there.

It can be used compliantly if the operator wants to.

On the other hand if you put a 750 in it and just pump till you get a full 90 you will have a bend that is well below the minimum radius.


----------



## Celtic (Nov 19, 2007)

ponyboy said:


> Someone will probably raise hell but I've only ever used a piece of 1 1/4 emt to bend 750s. It worked


I used to that same thing(still do occassionally):whistling2:...then a set of those handles EEJack posted appeared on a jobsite. 
there is a learning curve, but they work exceptionally well once you get the hang of it.:thumbsup:


----------



## 123electric (Jun 3, 2012)

BBQ said:


> I am going to have to disagree there.
> 
> It can be used compliantly if the operator wants to.
> 
> On the other hand if you put a 750 in it and just pump till you get a full 90 you will have a bend that is well below the minimum radius.


You know you might be correct on that. Late February early match we are setting up a 1600 amp terminating (6) sets of 600 aluminum. I will use the bender to check that the radius is in compliance. I will reply to this post as to the results.


----------



## 360max (Jun 10, 2011)

piperunner said:


> Well before all the new tools of today we made our own wire benders you need a small tool to fit inside the gear i like to see that hand bender in switch gear or getting 750 to fit in a hand bender must be fun getting it off the wire after a bend LOL . Just weld then grind it smooth duct tape and your ready you can bend easy looks like pipe work when your done the one on the right is cut open so you can roll it slide it off better ive had these for 30 years and they are the best tool and it didnt cost me a dime .I have made others with angled bent heads offset heads for tight applications made for SQ or GE junk .


isn't that aluminum wire? :whistling2::whistling2:


----------



## sparky970 (Mar 19, 2008)

360max said:


> isn't that aluminum wire? :whistling2::whistling2:


That's what I was thinking


----------



## piperunner (Aug 22, 2009)

360max said:


> isn't that aluminum wire? :whistling2::whistling2:


 Yes that is aluminum wire .


----------

