Got schooled on conduit bending by a retired guy at a job in Bend

I was fighting a tricky offset on a 3/4 inch EMT run and this old timer who was just watching from his porch came over. He showed me how to mark the center of the bend with a piece of tape first, which I'd never seen, and it came out perfect. Anyone have other simple tricks for clean bends?

2 comments

2 Comments

drew80515d ago

Ever think about the math you're fighting with? That old timer's tape trick works because it forces you to see the bend as a whole piece, not just two marks. A lot of guys get focused on the take-up or the multiplier and forget the conduit itself has a fixed center. If your marks are off even a little from that true center, your offset will always be fighting you. That tape method locks in the middle so both bends work from the same spot. It's one less variable to mess up.

noah_rivera5715d ago

The tape trick also helps when you're working in tight spaces. You can't always get a full view of the whole bend, so having that physical center marked keeps things straight. It cuts down on those small errors that add up over a long run of pipe.