Emt offset bend from box?
- Thread starter PoorOwner
- Start date
tailshaft56
Well-known member
Samo Samo. Bend it yourself or buy the premade. You bend is cheaper if you don't make too many mistakes.
Shiftless
Well-known member
If you don't have any experience, I advise practicing on scrap. If you have multiple offsets laying next to each other, you have to be REALLY good to get them exactly the same so they don't look wonky. Or buy a dedicated offset bender.
I don't have any experience, but I need to go around the inside corner once and then another turn. I notice you have to calculate shrinkage etc, it's all pretty confusing to me. I am hoping since I have to put a coupler in the middle of the run (20' straight) I just made the bent piece, then finally cut the end to go the box to length. Of course if you know what you are doing, you would do it how it's supposed to be done.. good thing the 1/2 EMT is not too expensive. I will just buy some extras.
exranger06
Well-known member
I'm running 1/2" EMT in my garage and I gave up bending my own offsets. I kept screwing up and having to redo them, and I was wasting material and time. Using the offset connectors makes the job go 100x faster.
bochnak
Well-known member
Luckily, EMT is cheap, so if you screw up no biggie.
I learned from this site:
http://www.porcupinepress.com/_bending/TheoryAndDrawings.htm
I learned from this site:
http://www.porcupinepress.com/_bending/TheoryAndDrawings.htm
I **** at offsets. One will be great and the next is slightly off. What I noticed with recently doing the conduit in my shop is that the knockouts in my boxes were so close to the wall that I really didn't even need to make or buy. I bought offsets to save time but I could have purchased conduit/pipe spacers and put them wherever I used a single hole strap. I would've spent less, too.
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
without experience bending conduit, u should either practice first if u plan on doing many of them or just buy the premade ones if this is a one time deal.
I still remember my first saddle bend and how it racked my brain at the time but i got it pretty close....
I still remember my first saddle bend and how it racked my brain at the time but i got it pretty close....
zmaxmotorsports
Well-known member
Conduit is cheap,I'm sure there's plenty of u tube videos out there to teach you the basics.
Pre made offsets and 90s look like ****.
Pre made offsets and 90s look like ****.
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
Just hafta know when to stop..............
wow thats a lot of take off and waste....
was that a job u were on?
zmaxmotorsports
Well-known member
Elginz
Well-known member
I just use my offset bender. It is 25 years old now, and I got someone else to pay for it so I could do the job for them. I too am not very good at bending emt, so I make the bends and cut the length I need and put the offset on. The chart tells you how to measure, but I am just not able to get it. I bend a few things maybe once a year.
wow thats a lot of take off and waste....
was that a job u were on?
Ummmmmm........I'm still on it
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
Use plastic conduit and watch the videos on YouTube on bend it with warm sand.
prostreetamx
Well-known member
https://www.google.com/imgres?imgur...LTAhUIr1QKHajYBtcQMwiVASglMCU&iact=mrc&uact=8
Use these. No box offset needed.
Use these. No box offset needed.
AffableCurmudgeon
Well-known member
You can do it. with box offsets, there is practically no shrinkage.
With corners/90's there is shrinkage/gain but there are plenty of tutorials that will tell you how to calculate gains and shrinkage.
Also, you are doing it for your own place, right? Don't be shy about making it a bit longer and trimming it or if you bend it short, using a coupler to extend it.
Take your time, practice a bit and your are in business. Box offsets are really easy. You will enjoy those.
checkthisout
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2008
- Messages
- 5,232
I got it right the first time using this video.
Give it a shot. 1/2 EMT is only a few bucks per stick.
Give it a shot. 1/2 EMT is only a few bucks per stick.
ddawg16
Well-known member
I actually like doing conduit....at least EMT.....
Be glad you're not doing Rigid....
Be glad you're not doing Rigid....
zmaxmotorsports
Well-known member
Excuse to buy another tool, these things are sweet. Reproducable offsets all day long
https://www.zoro.com/greenlee-offse...9NBlQubHPa6f7kl2NgMBEZkURvLBTJQk1QaAsil8P8HAQ
https://www.zoro.com/greenlee-offse...9NBlQubHPa6f7kl2NgMBEZkURvLBTJQk1QaAsil8P8HAQ
acer66
Well-known member
I am doing what the op is doing and never bent before and it is not that hard if it does not have to be 100%.*
I watched that video and others a couple of times, did a few learning bends and now I am learning as I am doing.
This was the most difficult one so far, shrinkage was not factored in.
View media item 69867
*Basic bends that is.
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You can use the pre made off sets if you'd like but you have to learn to bend pipe some time so why not read up on using a bender and watch some videos. The off sets are not too hard to learn. For 1/2" pipe I draw a line at 3" and 6", for 3/4" pipe I mark the pipe at 4" and 8" and make the bends on those lines. You line up the arrow with the first mark, make the bend, rotate the pipe 180 degrees, line up the arrow with the other mark, and make the bend in the other direction. It isn't necessary to use the measurements for off sets but I was taught that way by an electrician friend of mine and it works pretty well for consistency. I used to use the bender on the floor but for off sets I was taught to put the handle end on the floor and bend the pipe while looking down the length of it. It just takes practice and once you do enough of it you'll become good at it. For the 90 degree bends you'll need to use the bender on he floor. The take up for the bender is usually stamped into the bender head and you'll need to subtract that amount from the measurement when bending a 90 degree corner.
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I agree with the previous two posts, it's not that hard. I've never really bent emt before and just did an entire garage with appx 12 boxes wrapped around the inside. Best tool I found was an app for my phone, I used one called quick-bend, it's awesome.
when you get tired of making offsets........
and when you run out of straps and just gotta finish the job........
so you can finally get it all wired up........
to get home and have time for a beer
so you can start thinking about the next job!
and when you run out of straps and just gotta finish the job........
so you can finally get it all wired up........
to get home and have time for a beer
so you can start thinking about the next job!
If you have a bender or are willing to buy a bender, I would recommend giving it a shot. It's very easy and emt is super inexpensive. Premade box offsets are going to look stupid. I'm not sure if there is an established distance / angle for bending a box offset (I was never taught one), but I usually did two approximately 10 degree bends as close together about as the bender will allow.
zmaxmotorsports
Well-known member
when you get tired of making offsets........
and when you run out of straps and just gotta finish the job........
so you can finally get it all wired up........
to get home and have time for a beer
so you can start thinking about the next job!
zmaxmotorsports
Well-known member
For 1/2" box offsets I've always started at very end of pipe,then come in 6" and roll pipe 180 degrees for 2nd mark.
As long as you keep them all the same it doesn't really matter.
For something like that, I'd suggest a minerallac strap. I might even use one myself for that, if I didn't have to look at it.Just picked up a two pack of 1/2 offsets at Menards for $5. Since I’m a DIYer it beats the hassle of bending pipe and the cost of a bender. Pro’s may laugh, but it sure beats looking a white Romex.
nadogail
Well-known member
Bending EMT, in my opinion, is an Art. you get better as you work at it.
Yeah maybe I’ll get a better straps. My grandpa was a journayman Electrician and master bender. He did my entire basement and new 200 Amp service with EMT. Trying to keep up with it adding more lights.
twinfin
Active member
Nice work Smintman. I’m in the same boat. I want it to look nice but don‘t have time to practice making bends or nor inclination to invest in the proper tool.
Like you, I bought the angled fittings so that the conduit would have a tight fit against the wall. Had to paint everything first though. Obsessive compulsive behavior I guess.
Like you, I bought the angled fittings so that the conduit would have a tight fit against the wall. Had to paint everything first though. Obsessive compulsive behavior I guess.
Dagny
Well-known member
Almost every stick will have a line on it from one end to the other use it.
danfromsyr
Well-known member
noice, I'm installing painted (forged burnished amber hammertone) in my home barn room.Nice work Smintman. I’m in the same boat. I want it to look nice but don‘t have time to practice making bends or nor inclination to invest in the proper tool.
Like you, I bought the angled fittings so that the conduit would have a tight fit against the wall. Had to paint everything first though. Obsessive compulsive behavior I guess.
though I leave the conduit proud of the wall for my short run needs.. really doesn't bother me to have that small gap.
I do have a bender and work custom bends&radius into my EMT form.
have a couple of the premade bends shown above for if needed to help make an alignment look right.
Chuckster in NJ
Well-known member
I had a kid who worked for me and the guys broke his ballz everyday about how he couldn’t bend a "box offset" so one day he showed up with a "little kicker" (purchased it with his own money) and he became a instant hero because he would let others use it.………. These come in 3/4” too!
Those things are super expensive for what they are.
The only time I’ve ever seen one was in high school votech.
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Shiftless
Well-known member
I’m happy to see this almost 9 year old thread brought back to life. When I decided to rewire my 75 year old 20x20 garage, I bought a bender and practiced a bit, wasted a couple of lengths of half inch EMT and got the job done.
alfredeneuman
Well-known member
It's the welded seam.
dura eagle
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2023
- Messages
- 65
I’m pretty good at bending offsets once in a while I will get a little too much offset and just roll it a little. Untrained eye would never notice.
I was working with a union industrial electrician years ago, he couldn’t bend an offset if his life depended on it. He wanted to use what he called minis on everything so no offset needed.
I like my EMT to be against the wall.
I was working with a union industrial electrician years ago, he couldn’t bend an offset if his life depended on it. He wanted to use what he called minis on everything so no offset needed.
I like my EMT to be against the wall.