Had a foreman call out my pipe bending technique on a job in Phoenix last July

I was running EMT for a new commercial build and thought I was doing fine with my one-shot bender. The foreman walked over and pointed out that my 90 degree bends had a slight wobble to them. He told me I wasn't advancing the pipe enough between each bend. I had been rushing through it and not paying attention to the marks on the bender. After he showed me the right way, I spent a couple hours practicing on scrap pieces. Now I make sure to go slow and check the alignment before each pull. Has anyone else had an old timer correct something basic like this and it made you a better electrician?

2 comments

2 Comments

gonzalez.phoenix2d ago

Old timers know things you can't learn from a YouTube video. That wobble in your 90s means the pipe isn't riding the bender correctly and it'll drive you nuts later on conduit runs. Good on you for hitting the scrap pile, that's the only way to lock it in and never forget.

fiona_nelson512d ago

Wait, hold up. You're telling me that wobble means something specific? I've been doing conduit for like five years and I always just thought a little wobble was normal, like the pipe settling or something. That's BONKERS to me. I've probably got a dozen or more bends out there that are wobbly. Honestly, if I had a dollar for every time I fought a stubborn 90 trying to line up on a rack, I'd be able to retire early. This is the kind of stuff you just can't stumble into learning on your own, you know? I'm actually kind of mad nobody told me this sooner.