Electric Pipe Bender – Precise EMT & Rigid Conduit Flexibility

Conduits come in two types, EMT and Rigid conduits and can be found in various sizes The electric pipe bender provides conduit benders for EMT in ½”, ¾”, 1” and 1-¼” conduit and ½”, ¾”, and 1” Rigid conduit.

To aid bending when performing a ground or air bend, the benders are marked with different alignment symbols to help the operator create the bends necessary to accomplish any project. The symbols found on the electric pipe bender benders are the arrow, the teardrop, the star point and angle markings. These markings are found on various sides of the bender head.

The four most common turns you need to know are 90 ° Stub-Up, Back to Back, Offset, and 3 Point Saddle. When fabricating certain tube profiles, combinations of bend markings are often used. Knowing the appropriate technique and method of making arches will allow you to implement most projects efficiently.

Things to remember when bending:

• Correct bending is done by wrapping the wire around the bender in the wire cradle using all the pressure of the foot.
• Use a bender of the correct size for the size of the wire being bent.
• Some excessive bending may be required to allow the conduit to spring back. The cable rest should be at the final desired angle.
• Measure and label the channel as appropriate, using the tables and information provided.
• Bending the floor: Make sure the pipe is secured so it does not shift from bending. Apply ample foot pressure to the benders heel while minimizing the use of the handle as a lever but more of a guide.
• Air bending: Make sure the handle grip is firmly on the ground and is firmly supported by your foot so that it does not slip out. Make sure you are balanced and apply force close to the tool and your body by controlling the tube, bending it around the bed of the bender, making sure that the cable does not slide into the bender head.
• To avoid injury, always wear protective clothing and take it easy.

90 ° Stub-Up Elbow:

The spigot is bent by bending the duct into an L-shape or bending it at an angle of 90 °, placing the free end (short end) of the pipe to a specific length as shown in the diagram below. It is the most common arch and is part of other arcs. Typical applications for this arc include: routing the wire to electrical boxes, routing the wire up or down walls, routing the wire through the walls through floors and ceilings, and making bends in internal and external corners.

• Specify the total height of the free pipe end to be curved.
• From the total free height, subtract the nozzle height given in the bender lift table for size of the bent cable. The electric pipe bender ensured the right spigot height on each bender head.
• On the wire, measure the calculated number from the free end to be bent and mark the wire.
  For example, to bend a 3/4 "EMT tubing which has a free end height of 8.5", the table indicates to subtract 6 "from 8.5" which leaves 2.5 "from the end to bend upwards to make a sign. Tip:
  Advanced benders can place a tape measure next to the wire and perform bending operations if the bending does not require a high degree of accuracy.
• Always use a hose bender that is the correct size for the size of the hose being bent. The pipe will not bend properly and / or be damaged if a mismatched bender is used for the size of the pipe. Place the pipe bender with the hook facing the free end to be bent upwards. Make sure the wire is properly seated on the hook of the bender and align the arrow symbol with the mark on the pipe.
• Keeping the channel flat, apply great pressure with your foot on the heel of the bender, minimizing the use of the handle as a lever, curling the free end to 90 ° while checking the step with a spirit level. When properly done, the free end will be at the desired height and the arrow will be at the height of the nozzle as indicated.

In some installations, it will be necessary to trim the unbent side of the wire to a different length as desired to fit the installation. Use a pipe cutter to ensure a smooth, precise cut and deburring to keep electrical wiring safe while broaching. The hacksaw can be replaced as long as the pipe cutting edge is properly prepared.

Back-to-back bending is another bend style that is needed when routing electrical wiring. In fact, the concept is formulated by the need to know the 90 ° distance from the trailing edge of the bend to a fixed point in the conduit in order to determine other bending operations to meet the installation requirements. As you will see, it rests on a 90 ° elbow, and when you do the most common use of this elbow, it will look like an elongated U.

Knowing this bending method will be needed if you want to fit a cable duct between two parallel surfaces, such as two walls or joists, while keeping the outer edges of the U-legs in contact with the two surfaces. This allows for proper anchoring and a nice, clean appearance.

• Specify the distance between the two parallel faces to obtain the back bend dimension.
• The first back to back fold is the 90 ° prebend. Follow the steps in the 90 ° Stub-Up section to create the perfect fold to join on the front side.
• From the back edge of the 90 ° bend, measure the distance from step 1 and draw a mark on the hose.
• Place the pipe bender on the hose with the pipe bender hook facing the free end of the pipe to be bent, opposite the original bend. Make sure the wire is seated properly in the bed of the bender and align the star point symbol with the mark you put on the tube.