And we wonder why the future of our industry in bleak

[High Tower]

2 third year JTL apprentices and I spotted them doing this!!

And people wonder why the industry is going down hill!!

 

[rocker]

Amp are you bending them too quickly? Maybe not warming them enough? Or are you just bending with your hand and not over something like a knee of a form? The way I do it is rub them so they are nice and warm, and go for a slow but smooth bend, across the knee usually. I find if you stop too many times when bending it starts to kink out.

If you do all this and it's still kinking, as you say your spring is too small. Did you buy a spring for conduit or are you using a plumbers spring? I don't know if these are different, just a thought.

 

[Hawk81]

Thats right, but why do my right angles always kink. Shouldn't matter what quage it is should it. Is my spring to small?

What make of conduit are you using? I find mita to be the worst. It kinks no matter what I tried.

 

[mayfair]

please dont post a pic of your small spring lol as the saying goes size matters!!!!!!!!

Thats right, but why do my right angles always kink. Shouldn't matter what quage it is should it. Is my spring to small?

 

[accordfire]

Ok how many of us have

1 burnt our hands rubbing the PVC conduit to bend it

2 Can't get the spring out without geting lumps under your neck

3 Bent the bloody thing wrong in the first place

4 Still get that nice kink on a 90 bend ........................

All of the above.

FWIW - we insist these days that all changes of direction are done using manufactured pieces - though we set other angles. Like other posts, we find it gives a better job.

Low powered heat gun, spring, former, slow bending motion. Should see you OK no matter the angle. Though I will say 91 degrees on an alleged 90 degree bend looks shocking too - there is a real art to bending 90 degrees in plastic and making it look good.

Common causes of kinking are too much heat, not enough heat, to fast a bending motion, and trying to change the angle once you've started.

All that said, I had a guy on one of my projects, way back in the day, who seemed to be going for the world record in putting sets into galv conduit - I counted 14 on one three metre length, and he wondered why I binned it.....it looked like a bit of bloody spaghetti, even though it followed the right lines, he couldn't figure for the life of him why so many sets in one length was a bad idea......

Sigh.....just one of the many areas we do not, IMHO, teach our "apprentices" enough (or really at all) any longer. I recall my days on site - I think, when I was still at a point of thinking that no REAL man would dream of wearing ladies tights....(the things you do to stay warm on a site in - temperatures, huh?) and getting told that containment was the masterpiece of a real electrician - any t&%t could run cable....but running it in containment that was properly set out, properly jointed, properly everything - and LOOKED right everywhere - that was art.

The guy that taught me was a master of Pyro, galv, trunking, tray, you name it......but I recall even he got a kink or two in plastic.

 

[rocker]

Tights? What's wrong with longjohns, or even a ski base layer if you're a ponce?

Suppose you must be secure with your sexuality lol

 

[accordfire]

Tights? What's wrong with longjohns, or even a ski base layer if you're a ponce?

Suppose you must be secure with your sexuality lol

Utterly secure mate....

Until I met my now ex, I was sure there was only one d8&k in a relationship, that said....

Way back in the 80's, when electricity was only just being invented, mate....tights were it....you had a pair of longjohns, pair of tights and two pair of jeans. Skiing - that was something you didn't do on £30 a week.

You young 'uns don't know how easy you got it these days LOL!

 

[hermetic]

you get the spring out easy if you overbend then bend back to the required angle.

 

[tonys]

Thats right, but why do my right angles always kink. Shouldn't matter what quage it is should it. Is my spring to small?

By the sounds of it, the diameter of conduit I think your find is the outside rim, so the heavy gauge as thicker wall, so it will thicken slightly in inwards I think.

Ill check my springs tomorrow and let you know, Ive got heavy and light for 20mm and 25mm.

 

[Amp David]

What make of conduit are you using? I find mita to be the worst. It kinks no matter what I tried.

HaHa how did you guess, it Mita!

 

[Amp David]

Amp are you bending them too quickly? Maybe not warming them enough? Or are you just bending with your hand and not over something like a knee of a form? The way I do it is rub them so they are nice and warm, and go for a slow but smooth bend, across the knee usually. I find if you stop too many times when bending it starts to kink out.

If you do all this and it's still kinking, as you say your spring is too small. Did you buy a spring for conduit or are you using a plumbers spring? I don't know if these are different, just a thought.

Cheers Rocker,

Believe me i taake my time and always bend over my knee. I've even tried a warm air gun when the day is cold but still ends up going pear shaped.

Picked up the spring from my wholesaler, so unless hes fooked up when buying, i just don't know

 

[Hawk81]

HaHa how did you guess, it Mita!

That's your problem. It used to be the best but now it is pure rubish. Try a different make and a bet you will see the difference.

 

[Amp David]

Cheers Hawk, thought the Mita stuff was good stuff, being UK made and all that!

 

[rocker]

I use giflex and find it pretty nice to work with.

 

[Amp David]

I use giflex and find it pretty nice to work with.

Thats what my new supplier sells, so i'll give it a go, fingers croosed

 

[whats an rb4]

haha thats the besat laugh all day