Large radius conduit bending

[ramsy]

they wish to charge what the big companies charge, but they do not have the same expenses.

Plead me guilty with an explanation:

1) Customers hear me describe corporate-employees for what they often are: exploited, unqualified, & disgruntled, with workmanship that leads to "electrocuted children", resulting in nothing more than a corporate name change, and business as usual.

2) Whipping out my LOTO kit and voltage rated gloves, my customers know, "you'll rarely see corporate scum let employees take time for this." When my one-horse work is done, customers know about the up-sell scams, are asking to clean my mess, demanding to pay above invoice, and want me doing their plumbing and fixing their cars.

 

[LarryFine]

Most small EC's (1 man shop to maybe the EC and 3 employees) have very low overhead. They can offer high quality at lower costs. Reading in this forum they wish to charge what the big companies charge, but they do not have the same expenses.

In theory (mine, at least), the large company should have lower operating costs per employee.

 

[Fulthrotl]

In theory (mine, at least), the large company should have lower operating costs per employee.

you're thinking about the mechanics of scale, and there is something
to that of course, but with a large number of employees, there is an
infrastructure that grows to support that, and that is non productive
labor. and that drives up the labor burden.

striking the balance between labor, overburden, and work available to
do is the magic equation... once you've bid the work, and hopefully haven't
blown the bid, and been awarded the contract, that is.

crap. that's a ton of work, before the first stick of pipe goes up.
i'm tired already. time for a nap.


randy

 

[tryinghard]

Has anyone ever installed a surface mounted conduit run on the outside of a very large circular object such as a grain silo? How do you bend for that radius?

I?m not sure if you have a helpful answer yet? About a year ago we rewired some 40+ MVA generators, the interiors are about 28? diameter concrete. The rewiring included 3/4, 1, 1 1/2, 2, and 3? RMC.

Try to use >= 2 degree bends around every <= 4? increments for best results & looks. You?ll need a protractor even with an electric bender like a Greenly 555. Out of memory I think the formula we used for long radius bending was:

 

[tryinghard]

...
Almost no one cares what it looks like except the electrician that installed it and other electricians.

True and word for word the same as if my wife quoted it.

 

[sii]

My father-in-law is a farmer and he's got it all figured out. He's WAY smarter than I am. Why go to all the wasted effort of ANY kind of conduit when you've got rolls and rolls of (used) Romex laying around? No, I'm not joking, I bet half of his bins have the dryers wired this way...it's truly awesome.

Seriously though, when doing the concentric bending thing I have trouble keeping the pipe true (if that's the right word). What I mean is when I'm done, the pipe won't lay flat on the concrete floor. Is there a trick to that?

 

[tryinghard]

My father-in-law is a farmer and he's got it all figured out. He's WAY smarter than I am. Why go to all the wasted effort of ANY kind of conduit when you've got rolls and rolls of (used) Romex laying around? No, I'm not joking, I bet half of his bins have the dryers wired this way...it's truly awesome.

Seriously though, when doing the concentric bending thing I have trouble keeping the pipe true (if that's the right word). What I mean is when I'm done, the pipe won't lay flat on the concrete floor. Is there a trick to that?

All thats needed is a protractor, no-dog, and any type bender. A no-dog type level will eliminate your problem

 

[iwire]

If price is of utmost importance to me and I beat you down from your "best price" to your "better price" to your "good price" I'd have the hair standing up on the back of my neck. Probably thank you and then hire a trunk slammer.

Then I would have to guess you have never bid or been involved with building chain stores (Target, Lowe's Homedepot, Walmart, Circuit City's etc) or chain restaurants (Fridays, Ruby Tuesday, Outback etc.)

They do not want trunk slammers, often you have to be on an approved vendor list but they do want the job done for peanuts.

Now when I have worked for factories or more industrial jobs they usually have in house engineers and mangers that do care about the work and will pay the price to get it done right. :smile:

Its' just an apples and oranges situation.

BTW, just to keep things clear, I am a foreman not an owner.

 

[massucci]

You would have to bend it with segment bends.

Do any of you know if it would be possible to spend 75% of time on a large job running conduit?

 

[tryinghard]

You would have to bend it with segment bends.

Do any of you know if it would be possible to spend 75% of time on a large job running conduit?

I think this is more likely the case on small projects, but there is no standard figure this needs to be estimated per job, its application oriented. In today's markets you need estimating software (or at least well managed electronic mediums like excel). Your estimate is only as good as proved by your tracking, if you don't track the only gauge you'll have is revealed bid openings. You need the real tracking to adjust your estimating and qualify your markets.

 

[petersonra]

If it is my money, and it is being spent to make something look pretty that does not need to be pretty I am going elsewhere next time.

If the guy does neat work, that is a big plus, and may well get him invited back next time.

Spending more of my money than is necessary, will get someone else invited the next time.

There is some happy medium that can be agreed to between buyer and seller.