# Hah, I finally "get" pipe bending



## Black Dog (Oct 16, 2011)

Here is something you can do at home to sharpen your pipe bending skills..


pipe bending.

Go buy 100' of 3/4" EMT AND A 3/4" Ideal EMT bender with the handle and the book ,, read the book many times.

Now set up a sheet of plywood in your garage or basement.

Put a 4" square box at the 6 o'clock position 1' above that have a 2" PVC going across your path measure up another foot and make a mark,,,,about 30" to the right place another box at the 3 o'clock position .

Now make a box-offset to come out of your box at the 6 o'clock position then make a 3 point saddle to go over your 2" PVC, then measure to make a 90 DEG bend to your box at the 3 o'clock position make a box-offset to hit the box at the 3 o'clock position, use some one-hole clips to secure your pipe.

You must do this in one piece "NO COUPLINGS"....:laughing:

Doing this is good practice and you can make it even harder for good measure .

Take your time and teach yourself this once you get this down you'll have a much better understanding of bending pipe and installing it like it's a piece of cake.

When you're doing such things as back to back 90's you should use two torpedo levels to make your work perfect the first time.


Have fun messing around with it,as you practice you'll see results within the first 100'.

I've done this myself many times just to get the practice and keep these skills sharp.


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## ponyboy (Nov 18, 2012)

Do not stomp the second bend of your offset. Bend the first one to the desired angle using a level with the correct vial. Then start the second one in the air and finish it on the floor using a level to bend it to level. If your first bend is accurate there is no need to even measure once it's done


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## electric_mayhem (Apr 27, 2012)

The no math method is hack,unless an apprentice can explain why it works I will make them do the math and marks.


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## LouieCO (Jul 13, 2014)

I just started learning to bend pipe, and I needed a lot of help


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

Sreed24 said:


> The no math method is hack,unless an apprentice can explain why it works I will make them do the math and marks.


I agree. that guy in the video doesn't know much.


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

I've never seen anyone bend offsets like that. Of course he says no two pipes and benders will ever bend the same, because he's "guesstimating" the whole process and it introduces a lot of error. If you do the actual math you can absolutely produce repeatable identical bends, that's the whole point.


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## manchestersparky (Mar 25, 2007)

http://www.amazon.com/Benfield-Conduit-Bending-Manual-Jack/dp/0872885100

Benfields conduit bending book


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## fp.unit (Dec 18, 2012)

I can do most bends and know math on most (back to backs, 3 point saddles) but I still haven't figured out math on 4 point saddles. Whenever I ask someone at work they tell me method I don't like much (bend it far past object and cut it back to fit).

Surely you can measure distance to object, depth of object to offset, calculate degrees you will use for offsets and figure it out? I just don't know how and haven't come across a website that tells me. 


Example: running up a wall, need to make 4pt saddle bend over piece of building steel. sticks out 12" and is 3" high. Distance from beginning of pipe is 62". Want to use 22.5 degree bends. Where do you place first marks on bender, how do you do such math?


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

a 4 pt is just an offset that ends at the middle of the obstruction (center of beam or whatever) and is mirrored back. if you can do a 3 pt I don't understand why you aren't getting the 4 pt, maybe someone else can help you.


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## 360max (Jun 10, 2011)

manchestersparky said:


> http://www.amazon.com/Benfield-Conduit-Bending-Manual-Jack/dp/0872885100
> 
> *Benfields conduit bending book*


...that book is not that good !!

...this site makes Benfield look like an apprentice
http://www.porcupinepress.com/_bending/TheoryAndDrawings.htm


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## 360max (Jun 10, 2011)

become an expert conduit artist from this site

scroll to bottom of first page on this site and choose desired bend

http://www.porcupinepress.com/_bending/TheoryAndDrawings.htm


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## ponyboy (Nov 18, 2012)

Center of bend method is the only way I go now. Once you have your center bend marks made and you can calculate basic shrink formulas your conduit will fit like a rubber whether it's 1/2" or 4"


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

fp.unit said:


> ...Example: running up a wall, need to make 4pt saddle bend over piece of building steel. sticks out 12" and is 3" high. Distance from beginning of pipe is 62". Want to use 22.5 degree bends. Where do you place first marks on bender, how do you do such math?


 Just treat it like two separate offset bends, the only difference is that you need to know how much shrink you'll have in order to make your second offset in the right spot.

For a 3" offset at 22° you make your first mark at 54.2" and your second mark at 62". 

Your shrink for 22° is 3/16 so you add that to your obstruction length and make your mark for you next bend at 74.6" (62" + 12" obstruction + 3/16*3 takeup). 

Then you repeat your measurement for your first offset and make your final mark at 82.4" Just remember to flip your bender around to make your second offset.


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

Black Dog said:


> Here is something you can do at home to sharpen your pipe bending skills.. pipe bending. Go buy 100' of 3/4" EMT AND A 3/4" Ideal EMT bender with the handle and the book ,, read the book many times. Now set up a sheet of plywood in your garage or basement. Put a 4" square box at the 6 o'clock position 1' above that have a 2" PVC going across your path measure up another foot and make a mark,,,,about 30" to the right place another box at the 3 o'clock position . Now make a box-offset to come out of your box at the 6 o'clock position then make a 3 point saddle to go over your 2" PVC, then measure to make a  90 DEG bend to your box at the 3 o'clock position make a box-offset to hit the box at the 3 o'clock position, use some one-hole clips to secure your pipe. You must do this in one piece "NO COUPLINGS"....:laughing: Doing this is good practice and you can make it even harder for good measure . Take your time and teach yourself this once you get this down you'll have a much better understanding of bending pipe and installing it like it's a piece of cake. When you're doing such things as back to back 90's you should use two torpedo levels to make your work perfect the first time. Have fun messing around with it,as you practice you'll see results within the first 100'. I've done this myself many times just to get the practice and keep these skills sharp.


1/2" is cheaper for practice and it will quickly kink if he wants to stomp it around. 

Practice, practice and more practice. 

btw: I swung by HD a few months ago to grab a quick bundle. Each stick was marked and rang up a $1.25 for the TOTAL price of the bundle. She had only scanned one stick. 
Now being the nice guy I am, I couldn't get her to correct the total. She just was an air head, so I paid and left. 
But the guy behind me quickly got out of line to go and grab a few bundles. Hahaha


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## dronai (Apr 11, 2011)

Wirenuting said:


> 1/2" is cheaper for practice and it will quickly kink if he wants to stomp it around.
> 
> Practice, practice and more practice.
> 
> ...


 You will burn in hell for that !! :thumbup:


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