How to Bend Conduit with Parallel Offsets
#accesstopower #AccessElectric #ConduitBending
accesstopower.com
Today we are talking about parallel offset conduit bends. How do we measure, or determine, how to keep the gaps between parallel offsets equal. I see cases all the time where conduits look great until they come to a parallel offset. Then the gaps between the pipes change or are inconsistent. Today I will show you a simple method of how to calculate the length our offset markings should change to keep the parallel offset gaps the same throughout the entire offset, or length of the conduit. This is really not that difficult and I will show you how to do it with tools you already have; mainly an Ugly's Book, a calculator, or the calculator on your smartphone.
The main formula for offset angles that you need to remember is, The distance to shift one conduit in relation to the other is the tangent of 1/2 of the angle used to bend the offset times the center to center distance between the conduits.
Blog post describing how to bend parallel conduit offsets. www.accesstopower.com/post/ho...
First video I’ve found explaining this perfectly. Great job
4th year apprentice here , thanks for the smooth video 👌
Glad the video was helpful, and thanks for commenting.
I'm a JW with almost 20 yrs experience. I can recall exactly once, about ten years ago, I actually used this. I wanted to use it recently, but couldn't remember it for anything. Thank you for the refresher.
I was using this for some parallel Kick 90s and the formula was not working for me. Figured out that since it’s just a kick and not a full offset you use the tan for the full degree times your center to center distance. So for my 30° kick I used the tan of 30° instead of 15° like I would for parallel offsets and it all worked flawlessly. Great video.
Nice good to know. This is what I was wondering after the video.
Please make more of these videos! Do a 3 point saddle and a 4 point saddle bend. Its helpful to see the process and which way to flip the pipe in the electric bender.
Push through method bending on centers. Multiplier 3
I was sent to do 6 pipes into a pull box all parallel offsets(17.75” offset with 5.25” kick). I have never done parallel offsets before. I went into the bathroom and watched this video and taught myself how to do it. 2nd year apprentice. Thank you very much for the video.
That is exactly why I made these videos. Glad they helped you.
Hi Walter, from one tutorial maker to another, I want to encourage you. It is obvious that you care and are attentive to detail. Every video could always be better, but with enthusiasm and a solid plan (vision), you've made a video that can help many, many electricians to become more skilled in the trade. Well done man.
Thanks Matthew! I really appreciate the comment. We are trying to create tutorials that are helpful and hopefully enjoyable to watch and learn. It means a lot to get comments from another KZhead creator. Keep up the good work!
Sir, where were you for my 5 year elec. apprenticeship? Great teaching voice/the way your videos explain things make the light bulb turn on!!!
This guy explains everything so well
Man this is the video I've been looking for!!! Please make more videos about conduit with the tips and tricks, matching couplings, matching couplings on 90's, rolling offsets, 3 point saddles, 4 point saddles. Sorry to ramble on I just like learning about the art of conduit bending and this is the only video I've found someone using an electric bender. Awesome video!!!
Excellent video. Not many people are doing these sort of videos for the electrical industry. Keep it up!
thanks for the comment TRUTH!
Nice idea with the strap and strut for the no dog level. If i forget my no dog on the job one day im gonna remember this. Thanks.
Yes! Please more pipe bending videos. This was very well explained. Thank you.🙏
Great job! Simple, concise, clear explanation. Look forward to seeing more of your videos.
Clear. Concise. Perfect instructional style for me. Thanks!
Thank you for this video! Makes way more sense than when my teacher went over it.
Very nice bender, you make it look so easy!
Hey man I appreciate the video, I just started my third year of an apprenticeship and was never shown this before. Im sure I'll be able to make good use of the info.
That’s a cool idea strapping a deep unistrut to put the level on top 😊
Seems like it was fiberglass too
Thanks for this video. You did a great job in explaining it.
Great videos sir,, please keep putting content out! The industry needs it
Thank you so much for the info bro!! Really makes a difference for me.
great video. in the trade for 20+ years. never had a real opportunity to work with rigid pipe. that's where the true masters work. a lot of younger guys don't want to learn and a lot of contractors don't want to pay the time it takes to do good looking work.
Great video always wondered how that was calculated.
Well explained as a pre-apprentice this helped a lot! We did a parallel offset today but my journey did a pretty shitty job. He didnt use tangents, shrinks and angles. I think he just wanted to finish the job. Didnt really learn anything from him.
I'm curious what kind of techniques he used. There is an old timer method for eyeballing offsets with minimal measuring, but it doesn't work well for paralleling. Keep trying to learn and hopefully you'll find someone in the field who likes to teach.
Thank you for this great explanation. Really easy to understand. 👍👍
Never knew the tangent of half the angle method that’s pretty cool. way easier than the way I was taught haha thanks
teaching this to 1st years thanks
Perfect understanding for Electricians
thank you, I needed this lesson
Wow this is great for our new guys learning. Cant wait to see what's next. Very useful.
Thanks Andy. Glad the video is helpful.
Perfect please more parallel bends. With other angles.
I’ve been an apprentice for about four months. I started bending pipe today and did pretty well. Thank you for giving me the knowledge and formula to improve. If you can do a video on kicks and matching kicks would be awesome
Just found this great video really explaining and more importantly showing how simple these bends can be! Thank you & please keep making these great video’s👍🏻
Joe V Thanks for the great comment. More videos on the way
I needed this ....thanks a million
Good job with these videos I used to work with you guys back in the early 2000s when Pon came over from Walter Electric
Great video!!! Def keepem coming
as a first year about to do his first performance evaluation this was extremely helpful, the only thing I am not confident about is parallel offsets so this helped a bunch
Please make more conduit bending videos. They are extremely helpful
Like I’ve seen others say, you don’t use it you lose it. I recall a man who grew up with Hebrew as his mother tongue and learned Greek and because he was over many years without speaking or reading his mother language, he had forgotten it. I think this is true for whatever you may think you know!
Very helpful. As a freaking union 3rd year apprentice who has yet to do this in the field, this was very helpful to know
Excellent tutorial, thank you
Excelente , good for everybody , so we are on the same pague AND use the information . Thanks.
Thanks for the video. You got another subscriber.
thank you. Learned a new trick today I appreciate it
great video by a great teacher
Thank you for the time and effort to make and post this video. The offset calc for parallel runs using the tangent trig function is what I needed.
You’re welcome! Thanks for commenting.
Make more! cool video really informative
Man thank you so much for this great video, greatly appreciated!!
Great job, very helpful video
You are going to be my teacher.
Thanks, Walter, for a very clear and concise description of this process. A note for all of you aspiring technicians out there-learn your math, especially trigonometry (I know, it’s a more advanced course!). You will be able to use all the shortcuts while having an appreciation of the math behind it and not be totally confused.
Thanks for your comment Terry! Right angle trigonometry is very helpful for understanding so many different aspects of electrical theory, such as reactance. Thanks again!
Great video. Please make more videos using the hand bender also.
you clip it helps a lot thank you so much
best video so far
hell yeah i like this video very helpful, thanks for teaching!
Thanks, great refresher. Super helpful. Can you do one for matching center of bends with varying angles, too.
In the field no one uses this book, maybe in the shop but dog legs are the norm on 1” and below. There’s offset hand benders for box terminations, that tool saved me so much time as an apprentice. If you’re off on measuring the run we just used our hacksaws.
Great job! Thank you
Really great video . Now if you are bending conduit that’s in a wall you probably don’t need this but if it’s exposed this video will make an apprentice look like a pro Thank you
Great video. Thanks!
Great video
great job at explaining this!! thank you. It has taking a great effort for me to take on this challenge out in the field without this information on hand. The way you have explained it, it's really black and white.
Thank you for your comment!
Great job!
By far best explanation
I have problem with a paraller offset but now I start to understand with this video
I like the explanation.
Great job, continue the great work
Thank you for the comment. I appreciate the feedback.
I very been ibew electrician, I don't know if you union or not. But your very knowledgeable. If not, you might want
Want to join ibew, we could use a great hand like yourself
Great video. Definitely subed
Hi, great job. Thanks
More videos please! Thanks
Very nice job. Thx for sharing. Would you do a presentation with multiple difficult bend angle with the pipe pre cut exact length and compensate for all gain and loss.
Good job
Can you please make a back to back 90, a 90 with an offset , your videos are very helpful!
Very interesting! Tangent of half theta is the same formula as for the shrinkage multiplier (to multiply by the height of the obstacle and compensate for the shortening of the pipe due to bending). Thanks for explaining this in a non-technical way. I like how you used Uglies because I think it will be less worrisome to newbies than trying to teach them trigonometry.
Great video, however I have a suggestion. Use a digital protractor on the long side of the pipe , zero it, than after your first bend test the bent end for 30 degrees. Also note the spring back and write it down for the next guy. For example you might have to bend a 33 degree bend for a perfect 30. Thank you for your video.
Thank you!
Awesome 👌
Brilliant.
Thank you very much.
This guy rocks.
Outstanding
Wow..nice sir.. .
Thank you
Having worked for electrical contractors for almost forty years, and ran enough conduit to cross the State of Pennsylvania, I can honestly tell you if you used these complicated methods and took this much time it would look pretty, but they would run you off! What they want is clean, simple bends through which wire pulls easily, can be fabricated quickly and installed without a lot of fuss.There are much simpler methods which are more practical.
Vean Whitcher thanks for the comment. For sure there is a time and place for everything.
I did this on 4” rigid I was bending. You have to do this or your bends will hit (if you run tight center to center spacing) and you won’t be able to spin on your next bend. If you use this formula, Not only will your diagonal spacing be the same to your parallel spacing and look great, you will be able spin on your additional pipes.
Your awesome!
I leaned something today :)
Thank I like that video
You have a new suscriber maestro
David Lopez thanks David
Hi I'm from the UK, can you tell me the name of the protractor you are using to set the angles on your pipe work.
Thanks
Thanks a million for your wonderful training videos. Also I would be thankful if you could let me know if we should use the tangent of half angel of the prior conduit when required to make more consecutive parallel conduits or just the tangent of the half angle of the very first conduit. Thanks again!
Ali Ahmadlou the parallel conduits would have the same angles
Hi thanks for sharing with us your knowledge and may God bless you for that. I am watching from haiti. Have you ever been to haiti?
Jude Belzy thank you for your comments. I am glad this is helping you. I have never been to Haiti. Maybe someday I will have the opportunity to visit.
Would you do a video about parallel kicks ...
profesor for conduit 4 " is the same procedures???? or there are other table???
Any chance you could do a parallel 3 point saddle ?
Great Video Helped Alot , But Can You Do A Video On A Rack With Multiple Kicks 👍
I'm confused, aren't you supposed to add some length for shrinkage to ensure the clearance to overcome the obstruction? Did you accomplish your 12" height to clear the 12" obstruction? Enjoyed the video very much. Thank you.
How would you match offsets when one conduit is coming out of a panel on the left side and the other conduit is coming out the bottom using fittings?
When running a rack with different size conduit, should you bend them all on the shoe from the biggest size conduit in that rack because of bend radius difference or doesn’t matter ?
If you are running rigid or IMC conduit it is a good practice to use the largest conduit shoes for all your parallel runs. You can’t really do that with EMT though.
Instead of a level I would recommend you use a dial gauge. I use to manage a bending department with 21 guys who bent material for D.E.C. and the dial gauge saves a lot of time. Simple and repeatable. Try it.