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In this video I will show you how to make a Back to Back bend in a 1/2" EMT conduit. Using an IDEAL Hand Conduit Bender. They are available in Aluminum or Ductile Iron and are based on the original Benfield design and are very rugged and durable.
In this video I will show you how to make a Back to Back bend in a ½ inch EMT conduit using a hand conduit bender from IDEAL.
A back-to-back bend is used when a second stub bend is made in a length of conduit to produce a U-shape. You can use this bend for conduit that runs across the floor or ceiling which turns up or down a wall. It is really two stub bends in a length of conduit that has been bent to fit the installation without cutting and fitting multiple pieces of conduit together.
For this demonstration I will use our catalog number 74 – 026 Ductile iron head bender from IDEAL. The ductile iron head benders are typically preferred by the professionals as they will last longer than aluminum bender heads which are lighter weight but less durable.
After the first 90° bend has been made, Step one is to determine your length and make your marks.
To determine the length of the back to back bend. Measure the distance between the two obstructions or from the outside of both knockouts on the boxes. In my example let’s make that 30 inches. So I will measure from the outside of the first bend to 30” and mark the conduit. This mark is the “back” of the next bend.
Contractors generally use a pencil to mark the conduit so it can be erased later. Here I am using a permeant marker and mark the conduit all the way around the conduit so the mark does not get lost in the bender head.
Step two is to align the mark on the conduit with the star point on the bender head. The star point indicates the back of the second bend. You’ll want to make sure the hook is facing away from the first bend so the bender’s going in the right direction to make a U shape in the conduit.
Step three lay the conduit on the ground and firmly step on it with one foot to hold it flat against the ground. Another tip is to apply a little pressure on the handle so the conduit does not slip in the head as you move to the floor to make the bend. Carefully line up the first 90° bend with the handle on the bender so the second 90° bend will be aligned with it or you’ll end up with a dog-leg. Any time you’ve got two or more bends in a pipe, there’s the potential for what electricians call a dog-leg if the bends aren’t aligned. This creates a problem in the wall, and doesn’t make for a professional looking bend.
Now that you have all your marks and bends lined up, step four, is to make your bend.
Bend your knees to lower your center of gravity and using your other foot step on the serrated Heel on the back of the bender head. Using constant firm pressure bend the conduit to 90 degrees using the Shoe or curved part of the bender head. How do I know the conduit is at 90°? The answer to that is “experience and good eyeballs”. The reason the bender handle is slightly flared on the end is to be able to insert the stub into the handle and bend the conduit back to 90° if you over or under bend it, or to straighten out a dog-leg.
Remember constant heavy foot pressure is critical to keep the conduit in the bender groove and to prevent kinked or wrinkled conduit.
Let’s check the accuracy of the bender by measuring the distance between the outside edges of the two bends. As you can see, it measures 30” and is an accurate bend. Remember this technique can be used any time a second stub bend is needed in the length of conduit.
Knowing how to make a back to back bend quickly and efficiently will make those jobs run that much smoother and add value to what you can do.
Electricians don’t bend the conduit and then cut it to the correct length. Once they know how to use a bender correctly the conduit is the correct length for the job. Using a good quality hand conduit bender like this one from IDEAL will provide accurate and professional looking bends that electricians expect while on the job.
If you want to learn more about the line of hand conduit benders from IDEAL. Please visit our website or contact our customer service department to find a local distributor.
Thanks for watching folks I’m Ron with IDEAL and see you on the next one.
#RonKipperFromIDEAL #IDEALINDUSTRIES #IDEALConduitBenders
