Ideal 74-127 Installation Manual

Bender

Bender

Guide

Guide

Features

Your IDEAL Bender has engineered features which include:

1. Arrow

To be used with stub, offset and outer marks of saddle

bends.

2. Rim Notch

Locates the center of a saddle bend.

3. Star-Point

Indicates the back of a 90° bend.

4. Degree Scale

For offsets, saddles and those special situations.

5. A Choice

High strength ductile iron or light weight aluminum.

The above are features that lead to perfectly predictable and repeatable bends.

Instructions

Bend conduit with skill and professionalism. Take the guess­work out of bending.

Steps to Remember

Step 1. Measure your job.
Step 2.

Mark you conduit using the recommended tables.

Step 3. Use your bender’s engineered marks.

Note: Reference to the above Steps 1, 2, and 3 will be made
throughout this booklet.

– 1 –

Don’t Forget

• When bending on the floor, pin the conduit to the floor. Use
heavy foot pressure.

• When bending in the air, exert pressure as close to your body
as

possible.

• In case you overbend, use the

back pusher or the expanded
end of the bender handle to
straighten your conduit to
fit the job.

How to Bend a Stub

The stub is the most common bend. Note that your bender is
marked with the “take-up” of the arc of the bender shoe.

Example:

Consider making a 14” stub, using a 3/4” EMT conduit.

Step 1. The IDEAL bender indicates stubs 6” to ↑. Simply

subtract the take-up, or 6”, from the finished stub
height. In this case 14” minus 6” = 8”.

Step 2. Mark the conduit 8” from the end.
Step 3. Line up the Arrow on the bender with the mark on the

conduit and bend to 90°.

Remember: Heavy Foot pressure is critical to keep the EMT in
the bender groove and to prevent kinked conduit.

– 2 –

How to Make Back-To-Back Bends

A back-to-back bend produces a “U” shape in a single length of
conduit. Use the same technique for a conduit run across the floor
or ceiling which turns up or down a wall.

Example:

Step 1. After the first 90° bend has been made, measure to

the point where the back of the second bend is to be, “B”.

Step 2. Measure and mark your conduit the same distance,

mark “B”.

Step 3. Align the mark on the conduit with the Star-Point on

the bender and bend to 90°.

Star-Point on bender must be referenced for accurate bends.

– 3 –

How to make an Offset Bend

The offset bend is used when an obstruction requires a change in
the conduit’s plane.

Before making an offset bend, you must choose the most appro­priate angles for the offset. Keep in mind that shallow bends
make for easier wire pulling, steeper bends conserve space.

You must also consider that the conduit shrinks due to the detour.
Remember to ignore the shrink when working away from the
obstruction, but be sure to consider it when working into it.

Example:

Step 1. Measure the distance from the last coupling to the

obstruction.

Step 2. Add the “shrink amount” from the table on page 5 to

the measured distance and make your first mark. Your
second mark will be placed at the “distance between
bends.” (Refer to table on page 5.)

Step 3. Align the Arrow with the first mark and using the

Degree Scale bend to the chosen angle. Slide down
the conduit and rotate conduit 180°, align the Arrow

and bend as illustrated.

Bend offsets in the air.
Remember to keep your body
pressure close to the bender.

First Bend

– 4 –

Second Bend

Example:

30° Bend with a 6” Offset Depth

Distance Between Bends ← → Shrink Amount

12” 1-1/2”

Reference Table for Offset Bends

Degree of Bend

22-1/2° 30° 45° 60°

2” 5-1/4” 3/8”

3” 7-3/4” 9/16” 6” 3/4”

4” 10-1/2” 3/4” 8” 1”

5” 13” 15/16” 10” 1-1/4” 7” 1-7/8”

6” 15-1/2” 1-1/8” 12” 1-1/2” 8-1/2” 2-1/4” 7-1/4” 3”

7” 18-1/4” 1-5/16” 14” 1-3/4” 9-3/4” 2-5/8” 8-3/8” 3-1/2”

8” 20-3/4” 1-1/2” 16” 2” 11-1/4” 3” 9-5/8” 4”

Offset Depth (Inches)

9” 23-1/2” 1-3/4” 18” 2-1/4” 12-1/2” 3-3/8” 10-7/8” 4-1/2”

10” 26” 1-7/8” 20” 2-1/2” 14” 3-3/4” 12” 5”

How to Make Saddle Bends

The saddle bend is similar to an offset bend, but in this case the
same plane is resumed. It is used most often when another pipe
is encountered.

Most common is a 45° center bend and two 22-1/2° outer bends,
but you can use a 60° center bend and two 30° bends.

– 5 –

Important: Use the same calculation for either set of angles.

Example:

Step 1. You encounter a 3” O.D. pipe 4 feet from the last
coupling. The formula shown in the chart below
indicates that for each inch of outside diameter of the
obstruction, you must move your center mark ahead
3/16” per inch of obstruction height and make your
outer marks 2-1/2” per inch of obstruction height
from the center mark.
Step 2. The following table gives the actual mark spacings.
In this example, the center mark is moved ahead
9/16” to 48-9/16”. The outer marks are 7-1/2” from
the center mark, or 41-1/16” and 56-1/16”. Mark you
conduit at these points.

If Obstruction isMove Your Center

Mark Ahead

1” 3/16” 2-1/2”

2” 3/8” 5”

3” 9/16” 7-1/2”

4” 3/4” 10”

5” 15/16” 12-1/2”

6” 1-1/8” 15”

Make Outside Marks
From Center Mark

Step 3.

(A) Align the center mark with the

Rim Notch and bend to 45°.

(B) Do not remove the conduit

from the bender. Slide the
bender down to the next mark
and line up with the Arrow.
Bend to 22-1/2° as indicated.

(C) Remove and reverse the

conduit and locate the other
remaining mark at the Arrow.
Bend to 22-1/2° as indicated.

– 6 –

CAUTION

Be sure to line up all bends to be in the same plane.

Hickey

s

Hickeys require a different approach to bending. It is not a fixed
radious device but rather one that requires several movements
per bend. The hickey can give you the advantage of producing
bends with a very tight radius.

Order Information

Conduit Ductile Aluminum
Size Iron Bender Bender Hickey Handle

EMT

1/2” 74-001 74-031 74-010 74-019
3/4” 74-002 74-032 74-011 74-019
1” 74-003 74-033 74-012 74-020
1-1/4” 74-006 74-036 74-013 74-021

Rigid/IMC

1/2” 74-002 74-032 74-011 74-019
3/4” 74-003 74-033 74-012 74-020
1” 74-006 74-036 74-013 74-021

Handles

3/4” IPS 38” Long Expanded
Extra High Strength Handle

1” IPS 44” Long Extra High
Strength Handle

1-1/4” IPS 54” Long Extra
High Strength Handle

The IDEAL bender line gives you the engineering design, indicator marks and
durability to bend conduit with ease and confidence.

IDEAL INDUSTRIES, INC.

Sycamore, IL 60178, U.S.A.
800-435-0705 Customer Assistance
www.idealindustries.com

ND 1534-4

74-019

74-020

74-021