How do you make measure and make bends over 90 degrees?

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qcroanoke

qcroanoke

Sometimes I don't know if I'm the boxer or the bag
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Sorta retired........
LouS said:
I'm an apprentice just getting started out of high school. I've only been exposed to residential and never had encountered EMT untill very recently. I am ok with the basics but I was just put on a job where I am running 3/4 emt by myself. I can figure out how to make bends like simple offset and 90's but today, and for the near future, I will be having to make odd sized bend angles. My 4" Square in the ceiling is not aligned with the wall I have to pipe over too. Basically they are not on the same plane. Does anyone have any advice or guidance that they can offer? Thank you in advance.
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Welcome to the forum!
One of 2 things if I understand your question.
You can kick the EMT before it gets to the ceiling out of the wall to where it lines up with the box on the ceiling or you can offset the EMT over to where it lines up with the box in the wall you are piping to. Or you can move the box. :)
 
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LouS said:
I'm an apprentice just getting started out of high school. I've only been exposed to residential and never had encountered EMT untill very recently. I am ok with the basics but I was just put on a job where I am running 3/4 emt by myself. I can figure out how to make bends like simple offset and 90's but today, and for the near future, I will be having to make odd sized bend angles. My 4" Square in the ceiling is not aligned with the wall I have to pipe over too. Basically they are not on the same plane. Does anyone have any advice or guidance that they can offer? Thank you in advance.
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There are several bending manuals that you can reference. Google it
 
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LouS said:
Thanks. The lay out is an exposed office space. Just pipe on brick. There is no ceiling but there are sheetrock walls that run all the way up to the exposed ceiling. I have several 4" squares mounted on the ceiling every 20 feet with 3/4 emt in a straight line connecting them and running down the hallway. Im having difficulty figuring out how to make bends because the hallway has areas where there is a wall from a previous build out, that I need to pipe onto. Just think of a protractor at like 140 degrees. I hope Im describing it well enough.
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Not getting a clear picture. Is the ceiling sloped rather than flat?
 
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Welcome to the forum!

if I get you corectly you can offset after the 90 up the wall to meet the 4 square box . This way you can keep the vertical portion straight up the wall. Point the 90 in the direction you want to go and then kick the bend back as we call it to match the box.

read through the diagrams in the pdf. Ideal and others have similar guides.
 
LouS said:
... Just think of a protractor at like 140 degrees. ...
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Are talking about the inside angle between the legs of the bend. If so, bend angle is measured by angle through which the conduit is bent. To end up with 140 degrees between legs after bent, you'd bend the conduit to 40 degrees... the complement to 140 degrees, i.e. 180 - 140 = 40.

Many hand benders have marks for 30 and 45 degree bends, some 60. You can generally hit about 40 degrees just by bending a tad short of 45. If you want to be more accurate, get a magnetic digital or protractor level (round with flat or square base, and a degree pointer which relies on gravity to indicate angle).

Bend handle up with conduit flat on floor with level magnetically attached to conduit stub end. Assuming the floor is flat, and because of the bender hook holds the conduit up a little, it may not read 0 at start. Your start will actually be the angle of the floor inline with the shoe. As you bend the conduit, you just take it to whatever degree of bend you want, reading the level's angle as you proceed. You have to go a little past the angle you want due to spring back, then measure angle after relaxing tension on the bender handle.


If there is not enough stub to attach the level, you can attach to bender handle. Hand benders are made so their handles are 60 or 45 degrees in advance of the stub, i.e. straight up when the bend is either 30 or 45 degrees respectively (I refer to them in this respect; in my experience, Gardner Bender benders are the only ones that are 45 degrees). Using this method, you just have to add 60 or 45 degrees to the bend angle you want... although some levels' readout change direction after plumb. For example, a level goes to 90 at plumb then back down to zero on the other side. To make a 40 degree bend with level attached to 30 degree handle, you'd take your bend past 90 to 80 (after relaxing tension on handle and floor is level).
 
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Welcome to the forum. Code does not allow single bends greater than 90 degrees per article 358...from what you stated it would seem using a kick or offset would be the appropriate way to achieve this task or move the box as stated earlier.


Best Regards,
PJHolguin :cool:

LouS said:
I'm an apprentice just getting started out of high school. I've only been exposed to residential and never had encountered EMT untill very recently. I am ok with the basics but I was just put on a job where I am running 3/4 emt by myself. I can figure out how to make bends like simple offset and 90's but today, and for the near future, I will be having to make odd sized bend angles. My 4" Square in the ceiling is not aligned with the wall I have to pipe over too. Basically they are not on the same plane. Does anyone have any advice or guidance that they can offer? Thank you in advance.
Click to expand...
 
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pjholguin said:
Welcome to the forum. Code does not allow single bends greater than 90 degrees per article 358...from what you stated it would seem using a kick or offset would be the appropriate way to achieve this task or move the box as stated earlier.


Best Regards,
PJHolguin :cool:
Click to expand...

I believe you are misreading 358.26. The equivalent of 4 90? degree bends is 360?. I myself have used a 180? bend in the past. I have also seen them on outdoor lights, 1 90? followed by 1 180?.
 
I not sure that I am misreading 358.26 as opposed to interpretation... "There shall not be more than the equivalent of four quarter bends (360 degrees total) between pull points, for example, conduit bodies and boxes". I read "equivalent of four bends" as limiting to 90 degrees per bend...this could fall in the AHJ having the final say so. I didn't say we in the trade have not used "goose neck or Shepard's crook" for outdoor lighting...in fact EMT cannot be used in this manner because code states, the connection to the fixture needs to threaded e.g. GRC or IMC. If my mind remembers correctly this article has been revised; It once stated between fittings now it gives an example...It could be age effecting my memory...LOL.

Best Regards,
PJHolguin :cool:


fmtjfw said:
I believe you are misreading 358.26. The equivalent of 4 90? degree bends is 360?. I myself have used a 180? bend in the past. I have also seen them on outdoor lights, 1 90? followed by 1 180?.
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Its 1/2" emt and its above the ceiling grid. Just push/force the pipe into the connector or coupling . Don't worry about it, its gonna match all the other slapped in conduit up there above the ceiling.......:lol:
 
pjholguin said:
I not sure that I am misreading 358.26 as opposed to interpretation... "There shall not be more than the equivalent of four quarter bends (360 degrees total) between pull points, for example, conduit bodies and boxes". I read "equivalent of four bends" as limiting to 90 degrees per bend...this could fall in the AHJ having the final say so. I didn't say we in the trade have not used "goose neck or Shepard's crook" for outdoor lighting...in fact EMT cannot be used in this manner because code states, the connection to the fixture needs to threaded e.g. GRC or IMC. If my mind remembers correctly this article has been revised; It once stated between fittings now it gives an example...It could be age effecting my memory...LOL.

Best Regards,
PJHolguin :cool:
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Some others have had the same belief but it's not true, here is an older ROP where it is cleared up.

8-219 - (345-11, 346-11): Reject


SUBMITTER:

Bruce Mitchell, Thornton, CO

RECOMMENDATION​
:​


Revise text to read as follows:
The cumulative total of all angles formed by bending of the
conduit between pull points (e.g. conduit bodies and boxes) shall
not exceed 360?.​

​
SUBSTANTIATION: ​
Current language is imprecise and could be​


interpreted as implying that any bend greater than a quarter (90?) is
not allowed.​

​
PANEL ACTION: ​
Reject.

PANEL STATEMENT: ​
The existing text adequately explains the​


requirements for conduit bends. Four quarter bends is used as an
example and does not limit the angle of any bend to 90 degrees or
less.​

​
NUMBER OF PANEL MEMBERS ELIGIBLE TO VOTE: ​
14

VOTE ON PANEL ACTION:
AFFIRMATIVE: 13​




NOT RETURNED: 1 Corry​
Click to expand...


Roger

​
 
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