How to Use a Conduit Bender

The parts you are working with

• Head, or shoe: the curved piece with a groove that the conduit sits in. Its size and conduit type are stamped on it.
• Hook: catches the conduit end and decides which way the bend is made.
• Handle: the lever you pull. The head turns on the conduit as you pull.
• Heel pedal: the foot step at the back of the head. Your foot holds the conduit down.
• Marks: the arrow, the star and the angle lines you line the conduit up with.

Set up before you pull

1. Choose the head for your conduit type and trade size. A wrong head crushes the wall.
2. Mark the conduit on top in pencil, and number the marks in the order you will bend them.
3. Slide the head on so the conduit sits fully in the groove, with the mark on the arrow and the hook toward the end that will be the stub.
4. Stand so you can pull straight toward you. Keep the handle in line with the conduit.

Pulling the bend

• Put a foot on the heel pedal and lean your weight onto it. That keeps the conduit seated.
• Pull with steady pressure. A jerk makes the conduit slip in the groove.
• Keep the handle in the plane of the bend. Pulling it sideways twists the conduit and can crease it.
• On the floor (handle up), you can hold a level to the stub as you reach the angle. In the air (handle down), you sight the angle lines on the head.
• On many heads the handle stands upright at 30°, which is handy for quick 30° offsets.

Reading the angle

There are three ways to know when to stop: the angle lines cast on the head, a level held to the finished leg, and an angle finder. BendMate’s level reads a bend’s angle with your phone’s tilt sensor. Lay the phone on the straight part to zero it, then on the bent leg to read the angle.

Test your bender on scrap

The number cast on the head is a guide. Heads wear, castings vary, and your technique shifts the result. A scrap test tells you what your bender really does.

Use the real number from now on. It is the quickest way to stop every stub coming out long or short.

Matching pairs and practice drills

To make two bends that match, mark them both from the same end, seat each in the head the same way, and pull to the same angle on the same cue, such as the handle reaching upright or the level reading the same. Lay the two side by side afterward. If they differ, trust the level, not the feel.

• Ten 90s to the same stub length. Measure each and chase the error out of your technique.
• Pairs of 30° offsets, laid side by side, until they match.
• A 90 in each size your job uses, so you know each head’s take-up.
• A 3-point saddle over a piece of pipe.