Parallel Bends

[d1reyad]

how to get the measurement of bending more than one conduit to make them line up nice like the picture in the link the link tell how to do it but i wanted to know if there is an easy way to do it without all the math


http://www.porcupinepress.com/_bending/ParallelBends.htm

 

[mdshunk]

If you waste your time doing work like that on my job, you and me are gonna have a talk. Something along the lines of, "that looks nice, now knock it off and get to work".

 

[480sparky]

Here ya go!

 

[johngil]

There isn't a way to do concentric bending w/o all the math.
Greenlee does have some good manuals that will fit in your pocket and have a lot of the math done for you.
A while back, I was cursed w/ getting the last bender in the shop which was a segment bender. I picked it up pretty fast, but would not call it easy.

 

[Cow]

If you waste your time doing work like that on my job, you and me are gonna have a talk. Something along the lines of, "that looks nice, now knock it off and get to work".

Sometimes it's a necessity when you have a tight rack.

Easiest way for me:

Bend offsets in two different sticks of pipe so they are the same. Lay them on the ground, move the pipes around so the spacing between them is equal. Measure the difference at the end of the pipes and add/subtract this distance to each consecutive pipe you bend.

Concentric 90's aren't worth the time IMO.

 

[infinity]

Easiest way for me:

Bend offsets in two different sticks of pipe so they are the same. Lay them on the ground, move the pipes around so the spacing between them is equal. Measure the difference at the end of the pipes and add/subtract this distance to each consecutive pipe you bend.

Cow has the easiest way. You can use a few scrap pieces of pipe to find the difference. Actually this can be important because on tight racks the conduits will hit each other and not fit if they're all bent the same.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Concentric 90's aren't worth the time IMO.

If you have multiple sizes of conduit in a flat rack, you have to either bend all of the conduit on the same shoe or use concentric bends to avoid having the center to center distance change and lose rack space on one side of the 90. For rigid with all the conduits 2" or less, the use of the 2" shoe for all of the conduits works great. Don't think you can make that trick work with EMT.

 

[cal1947]

electric`

electric`

If you have multiple sizes of conduit in a flat rack, you have to either bend all of the conduit on the same shoe or use concentric bends to avoid having the center to center distance change and lose rack space on one side of the 90. For rigid with all the conduits 2" or less, the use of the 2" shoe for all of the conduits works great. Don't think you can make that trick work with EMT.

i have been retired for four years now , but ithink if you add the distance between the pipes and the outside diamamtor each time they will come out equal

 

[peter]

If you are using 1/2", 3/4" and 1" conduits [EMT], you can use an Eriksen Bender. All thise bends are the same: 12" radius. Not perfect concentric bends but at least, being the same radius, they will create a neat, geometric effect.
Note: these cost about ~$150. The take up on all sizes mentioned is 14" [this is useful on a test which asks which asks "What is the take up for 3/4" EMT?" You answer 14". Get it wrong. Get marked wrong. Show the fool the bender. He won't believe his eyes and will still mark you wrong. Lotta fun.].
~Peter

 

[wireman]

Most projects won't support the cost it takes to do concentric bends, so:
1. Decide on the spacing you need between pipes
2. Bend the first pipe (the inside pipe on the rack) make sure you have a mark where center or start of bend is on pipe.
3. Lay it on the concrete w/end of pipe against a wall and square it up.
4. Trace the outline of the pipe with a pencil
5. Move the bent pipe above the tracing and adjust it so the spacing btw. pipes is what you figured in step one.
6. The distance from the end of the pipe to the wall is how much to add from end of pipe to center or start of bend (from step one) for the second pipe.
7. Bend mark for third pipe will be be twice that amount.

This technique takes very little time and looks good.

Or if you're mathmatically oriented take the C-C spacing X Tangent of 1/2 the offset angle. The result is the spacing to add to end of second pipe.

 

[Rockyd]

If there is a question of the money saved, take a look at an estimating book , and what the cost is per sweep. A good JW with bending skills, can save a pile of money, and have a very small bone pile.

 

[Fulthrotl]

how to get the measurement of bending more than one conduit to make them line up nice like the picture in the link the link tell how to do it but i wanted to know if there is an easy way to do it without all the math


http://www.porcupinepress.com/_bending/ParallelBends.htm

if you want to do it, and not have marc smoke you for doing it, then
burn a bit of pipe up and do it this way.....

the illustration shows same size pipes, so, bend all your pipes on
your bender, lay them out on the floor, space them nice and pretty,
mark them with that sharpey held in your hot little hand, and cut them
with your spiffy 28v. milwualkee porta band. add a little bit to every
additional offset you bend, so that you can cut off a couple inches
off each one. if you are gonna have to do this in rigid or ocal, then
either you are gonna have to do the math, or get out a hand threader.

the advantage to doing it this way is that if you have a little oopsie,
you can usually switch pipes around, to minimize the eyesore, and
then cut to fit. the same with 90's, for that matter...

years back, i was working at mcdonnell douglas, and had a bucketload
of 4" emt to run. nothing was in yet, no switchgear, so we snapped
lines on the ground, laid out the racking, and started bending. bent
everything to fit, and after three days, the GF came around to look,
and there was no pipe in the air yet, not a stick. just a ton of stuff
laid out on the floor.

so, he wanted to fire me, and my foreman said no, wait a little bit.

having it all bent to fit looked better than factory fittings, and after
10 days, i had 7,000 feet bent, racked, and ran. 700' a day, including
bending time, for 10 days, working by myself.

if you really get into it, you can make pretty good time that way.
all the couplings lined up too.....
my first superintendent told me "son, we don't get paid for pretty,
we get paid for done".

so, did i get kept on after that job? nope. guess i just didn't have
what it took.

randy

 

[iwire]

having it all bent to fit looked better than factory fittings, and after
10 days, i had 7,000 feet bent, racked, and ran. 700' a day, including
bending time, for 10 days, working by myself.

Maybe I am misunderstanding you but are you saying you single handedly installed 7000' of 4" in 10 days?

 

[Fulthrotl]

Maybe I am misunderstanding you but are you saying you single handedly installed 7000' of 4" in 10 days?

shh... don't tell nobody, but yeah....

there were five major transitions, one at the MSG, and breakouts
for major load centers, but once those were prebent, it was time
to rock and roll. i bent everything long, and cut to fit with a porta
band as i went.

i had a big scissor lift, and nobody to have to steer around, and
setscrew connectors... i couldn't have done it with compression
connectors..... it was a best case scenerio....

and i was on a mission to see how far i could pee, so to speak....
having the GF tell my foreman that i couldn't make my footage
sorta pee'd me off...


randy

 

[iwire]

Forgive me if I find that hard to believe.

 

[JJWalecka]

Sometimes while working with 3/4 and 1 inch EMT I use a 1 inch bender for both. With constant foot presure the bends match. 1/2 also works in 3/4 bender. I read about the Erickson bender but I have yet to try it. I like long radius bends, easier for pulling.

As far as matching bends go its all up to the craftsman. If you deam it efficient to do so then by all means practice and go for it. I think it looks better if exposed but you don't want to waist time and the bosses money.



JJ

 

[electricalperson]

If you waste your time doing work like that on my job, you and me are gonna have a talk. Something along the lines of, "that looks nice, now knock it off and get to work".

thats not nice what if the person that worked for you takes pride in his work and you crushed his pride in a matter of seconds. i wouldnt be too happy with that if that was me

 

[electricalperson]

shh... don't tell nobody, but yeah....

there were five major transitions, one at the MSG, and breakouts
for major load centers, but once those were prebent, it was time
to rock and roll. i bent everything long, and cut to fit with a porta
band as i went.

i had a big scissor lift, and nobody to have to steer around, and
setscrew connectors... i couldn't have done it with compression
connectors..... it was a best case scenerio....

and i was on a mission to see how far i could pee, so to speak....
having the GF tell my foreman that i couldn't make my footage
sorta pee'd me off...


randy

you must of worked quite hard. it taken me about 7 hours to run 300 feet of 4 inch emt and that was with a helper

 

[iwire]

thats not nice what if the person that worked for you takes pride in his work and you crushed his pride in a matter of seconds. i wouldnt be too happy with that if that was me

If Marc is paying the persons salary he has every right to criticize the persons work. It is a job, not kindergarten.

 

[Fulthrotl]

you must of worked quite hard. it taken me about 7 hours to run 300 feet of 4 inch emt and that was with a helper

the shop i was working for at the time figured 100' per man per day, on
4" steeltube, so based on that, you were doing very good.... the magic
number for the time would have been 175', and you got 300'... good deal.
you also can't compare the same tasks on different jobs... mileage does
vary....

this was a best case scenario, and by having everything pre bent, i
was able to fly.... i had nobody to work around, and was using setscrew
connectors, and cinch-straps. could i get that kind of footage in a building
with 6 other trades in the area? of course not. it was just a pipe up in
the air deal, and it was fun to see what my best shot looked like, and 'cause
bending everything first on the ground, and bending it long, meant that
i could get up on the lift, and just stay there, putting stuff up. no
distractions, no interruptions, just pipe.

there was also a point to be made with my general foreman, who i didn't
much care for at the time, and would never consider working for today.

randy