Lets say a fella wanted to bend 1/2" conduit into a 6' circle so the ends could be connected via a coupler. What length of conduit would be needed to make a 6' circle and what would be the technique to bend it using a manual pipe bender? I've got myself one of them there bright idears and trying to figure out if it can be done with a reasonable amount of time and effort.
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Bending conduit
- Thread starter phylodog
- Start date
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hornadylnl
Shooter
- Nov 19, 2008
- 21,505
- 63
6x3.14
steveh_131
Grandmaster
you're making a ring of fire to dive through while basejumping, aren't you.
For a 6 ft diameter circle, 19 ft if it doesn't have to be exact... 18 ft 10.75 in if you want it more exact.
Not sure about the bending.
Not sure about the bending.
hoosierdoc
Freed prisoner
Can I borrow it for a zipline?
Horn has the formula.....not sure how you would go about that. I have a bender but making a steady circle will be a job.
hornadylnl
Shooter
- Nov 19, 2008
- 21,505
- 63
With a conduit bender, pack a lunch. It'd take about a billion bends to look even remotely like a circle.
hornadylnl
Shooter
- Nov 19, 2008
- 21,505
- 63
You'd need something like this. They make manual ones as well. Not sure how well conduit would roll without kinking it.
CP30 UNIVERSAL ROLL BENDERS
CP30 UNIVERSAL ROLL BENDERS
It would not be symmetrical at all. I can not think of anything not hydraulically driven.
HeadlessRoland
Shooter
Eight equally-spaced 45 degree bends would give an octagon that could be made circular with some smaller additional bends.
You come down and do the math, horn will lay it out and I will attempt to bend.
It is near impossible to stay on track and keep something like that straight. Might be fun to try though. Who is buying the beer???
Well, grab a 20' piece. As Snap noted, you'll need to cut it, but only once you have the full 360 degrees. Conduit is flexible enough that it can be 'jiggled' that last 1/2" or whatever to get it coupled in place.
It CAN be done with a manual bender, but IMO you'd be better off renting a power one (presuming you don't have one, and don't want to spend the $$$ for one).
Work slowly. Bending a full circle, and making it look 'right' is gonna take some time and patience to get that 'smooth' circle without kinking.
It CAN be done with a manual bender, but IMO you'd be better off renting a power one (presuming you don't have one, and don't want to spend the $$$ for one).
Work slowly. Bending a full circle, and making it look 'right' is gonna take some time and patience to get that 'smooth' circle without kinking.
TheEngineer
Expert
Overall Circle diameter - Diameter of pipe = Centerline Diamter
Centerline diameter X pi = circumference (aka straight length)
A 72" outside diameter circle of 1/2" pipe would have a centerline diameter of 71.5"...so 18'-8.625" circumference or straight length of pipe required.
As as others have said, start big and trim the extra when you're done...easier to remove pipe than to add it later when you come up short
Best bet is to find someone near you that has a hydraulic roller...check around for a small fab shop. If you were closer I could have it done over lunch
Centerline diameter X pi = circumference (aka straight length)
A 72" outside diameter circle of 1/2" pipe would have a centerline diameter of 71.5"...so 18'-8.625" circumference or straight length of pipe required.
As as others have said, start big and trim the extra when you're done...easier to remove pipe than to add it later when you come up short
Best bet is to find someone near you that has a hydraulic roller...check around for a small fab shop. If you were closer I could have it done over lunch
Last edited:
hornadylnl
Shooter
- Nov 19, 2008
- 21,505
- 63
Conduit only comes in 10' sticks to my knowledge.
hornadylnl
Shooter
- Nov 19, 2008
- 21,505
- 63
I'm guessing outdoor shower.
It could be done but it'd take a lot of finessing to smooth it out. About the only way it'd be possible would be to mount the bender so that it was solid and move the conduit by hand. Slight bend, move it a half inch, slight bend, move it a half inch, infinity.
TheEngineer
Expert
littletommy
Grandmaster
I bend things for a living, and this ^^^^^ is how I'd go about it.
Big question is........is this a one off deal, or something you're gonna replicate? If it's a one off deal, it's a piece of cake, just fool with it til you get it right. If it's something you want to make numerous copies of, sometimes even fairly expensive tubing benders are hard to dial in to produce a series of precise parts.
