This article focuses on hand benders. If you are using a hydraulic or power bender (recommended for conduit with a nominal size over 2 inches), find instructions for your specific bender model. Hickey benders tend to crush or kink EMT conduit. Use a bender with a curved track for the conduit to slot into.

If you are using ½" EMT conduit, subtract 5" (12. 7 cm). ¾" conduit: subtract 6" (15. 2 cm). 1" conduit: subtract 8" (20. 3 cm. 1¼" conduit: subtract 11" (27. 9 cm).

If your bender does not have an arrow symbol, you may need to find the instructions for your

A conduit bender will allow you to make any type of bend, from a few degrees up to 90°. [3] X Expert Source Jesse KuhlmanMaster Electrician Expert Interview. 30 June 2020. You can also use a bender to make an offset, or hump. [4] X Expert Source Jesse KuhlmanMaster Electrician Expert Interview. 30 June 2020. If your conduit is 1¼" or larger, you may need an assistant to operate the handle.

If your bender does not have a star symbol, refer to your bender’s instructions. If the distance between the bends is too short for your bender, use the stub up system instead. In other words, turn your bender the other way, subtract the take-up distance described in the stub-up section, and line the conduit up with the arrow mark instead.

Do not rely on the nominal diameter of your conduit, which is slightly smaller than its actual size.

A 10º angle uses an additional 1/16" of length per inch of offset depth. A 22. 5º angle uses 3/16" per inch of offset depth. A 30º angle uses ¼" per inch. A 45º angle uses ⅜" per inch. A 60º angle uses ½" per inch. To find the total shrinkage, multiply the offset depth in inches by the shrinkage value above.

The shrinkage for a 30º angle is ¼ inch per inch of rise. (See previous step. ) Multiply ¼ by 10 inches of rise: ¼ x 10" = 2. 5 inches. This is the total shrinkage. Let’s say the conduit will run from an electrical box 40 inches from the step. Add this distance to the shrinkage: 40 inches + 2. 5 inches = 42. 5 inches. Measure 42. 5 inches from the end of the conduit and mark it with a marker or pencil.

For a 10º angle, multiply the offset depth by 5. 8. For a 22. 5º angle, multiply offset depth by 2. 6. For a 30º angle, multiply by 2. For a 45º angle, multiply by 1. 4. For a 60º angle, multiply by 1. 2. Some benders list the offset multipliers on one side of the head, directly opposite the corresponding angles on the other side. These may not match the numbers above perfectly due to rounding.

Return to the earlier example of a 30º angle up a 10" rise. A 30º has an offset multiplier of exactly 2. Multiply the offset depth (10") by 2 to get 20". Place the tape measure against your first mark, 42. 5" from the end (calculated in the steps above). Measure 20" toward the end of the conduit and make another mark. This is the position of the other bend.

Position the bender so the foot pedal is between the two marks. For example, if you plan to bend at a 30º angle, bend until the 30º mark touches the edge of the conduit. You can use any mark on your bender instead of the arrow, as long as you use the same mark to create the second bend. A different mark may be more convenient for bends near the end of the conduit. [11] X Research source

You may lean the bent end down against the ground to support it.

The farther away you hold the conduit, the less accurate the bend will be. Grip as close to the mark as you can without making the task unreasonably difficult. [13] X Research source

A 30º creates ¼" shrinkage for each inch of rise. Multiply ¼" by the height of the obstacles in inches to find the total shrinkage. Measure the distance from the desired position of the conduit end to the center of the obstacle. [14] X Research source Add these two values together. Measure this length from the end of the conduit and mark it. Note: Many benders only have a teardrop mark to show the position of a 45º saddle bend. In this case, a 22. 5º–45º–22. 5º saddle is the easiest type to bend.

For example, since a 30º angle has an offset multiplier of 2, a 3" high obstacle requires bends 2 x 3" = 6" apart. Draw a mark 6" to the left of the center mark, and another mark 6" to the right of the center. Instead of calculating this by hand, you can look up a Three-Point Saddle chart online to give you these values.