Joe Momma

Every piece had a bend; either a box offset or a 3 inch offset to get through the PVC blockouts through the concrete 'trusses', or a 90 to get to the lights, and pull boxes everywhere(for the number of bends).
There were 4 pipes on each half and five for half of each half(photo cell; lighting; power; fire alarm; security) and the top level had seven.

It was a high dollar downtown job and great experience. The owners spec'd exposed conduit(and all 3/4 with insulated throat connectors), they said they had a problem with embedded pipe rusting.....My foreman told them he could do it in PVC and gaurantee no rust, but they didn't care.

We a different style strut strap made by caddy. It had one bolt against the pipe in the center and two hooks in opposite direction that grab the strut. They're pretty slick and are what allowed me to do it by myself.

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Joe Momma was here

Mountain Electrician

Like this? We always used the regular 2 piece straps, but I've seen these installed, and they look okay. Maybe better for smaller pipe, say 1" and below. They looked a little flimsey for big rigid conduit.

Attached Images

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brian john

MOuntain;

Maybe it's because we're old school but the two piece looks nicer IMO. and I agree these look flimsy. But times they are a changin, cost of product, ease of installation, can be tightened when adjacent to other straps, sppeds up the job.

Mountain Electrician

brian,
I know you're right, but old dog new tricks, etc. When I started in the trade, we used metal boxes instead of plastic in houses, offset screwdrivers instead of cordless tools, EMT instead of MC, PLC programs were stored on cassette, and Caddys product line was probably half of what it is today. Its interesting to see all the changes in the last 25 years, (and I'm probably am not aware of half of them) and I've learned to keep an open mind and try to utilize the new products that apply to what I do, but those clamps still look flimsy to me. Although if you drop one of these clamps from the top of your 8' step ladder, you only have to go down and find 1 piece instead of 3 or 4. I've spent forever looking for a 1/4-20 square nut on the ground when it was the last one in existence.

rick

can someone tell me the difference in a rolling offset and a regular offset,my guess is that the rolling offset would have longer distance between bends or am i wrong

MDShunk

A rolling offset not only changes height, but it also shifts left or right at the same time. They're tricky to measure for, but you bend it just like any other offset once you get your measurement. A folding rule helps a ton when measuring for a rolling offset.

rod213

Here's two shots of a piece of pipe I bent today, all in the first try and it's a whole 10' piece of 3/4" EMT. I was quite proud of it.

The pipe goes straight up on the right about 60" or so. Still quite proud of it though. I bet some of you guys could do it with your eyes closed an' all.

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-Rodney

MDShunk

Nice job, Rodney. Many guys would have about 3 couplings in that run

Joe Momma

Or at least with 1 strap per stick and without the starbucks cup in the shot, hahaha.

I had a piece of 1/2 inch yesterday that swear was more couplings than pipe. It was the end of a frustrating day, and just didn't want to care just wanted it in.

That strap is the same as what I was saying though the two hooks that latch the strut face opposite each other.

A rolling offset is simply rolling the pipe so the offset is not perfectly plumb or level. They look funny but are neccessary to keep your degrees down. And measuring for them is the same as any offset; start point and finish point. Kicks are the ones that get a bit tricky.

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Joe Momma was here

brian john

Ever bend that 10 foot lenght, box offset, saddle then a 90 with a kick to the left 90 and then a box off set, a real work of art but the last 90 was in the wrong direction or the pipe was a 1" short.

faber307

to measure for a rolling offset:

Measure the distance of the offset horizontal
Measure the distance of the offset vertical
take those measurements to an accurate right angle
ie: floor tile, ceiling grid, building steel, etc.
transfer your measurements to the 90 degree angle then measure between.......voila works every time.

faber307

10-4 good buddy
but it was worth a shot!

rod213

Hey! I resemble that remark! I had five straps on that one run!!!

Starbucks coffee is the hottest dang coffee I've ever attempted to put my lips on too btw.

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-Rodney

rod213

Yes, more than alot of times in fact......

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-Rodney

Hillbilly

Good lookin' bend there rod.

We do a Pipe job maybe once every 2 or 3 years. I get pretty good at it again about the time the job's done.

leftyguitarjoe

Hey, check out this toy i get to use.



it saves soooo much time. I know some of you will think that its just another thing you gotta carry around, but i think its a useful tool.

you just pop the pipe in and BAM you got an offset.

too bad a new one is around $600

rod213

Yep! We got one for 3/4" and one for 1/2". Those are good things there. We had to adjust one of them a bit though, it was putting too much into the bend. But I agree, they do save time IMO.

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-Rodney

MDShunk

The Greenlee 1810 (1/2") and 1811 (3/4") offsetters only go for about 100 bucks each on eBay. I've gotten several off eBay over the years.

There is a tool that I don't own called the 'Evans offset bender' that is an offsetter for several sizes of EMT that you can set any amound of offset you want. If you need a whole rack of 6-5/8" offsets (for instance), set the tool up and crank them out in a minute or so.

raider1

I personally wouldn't waste the money, I can bend an offset just about as fast as some one with one of those offset benders.

Chris

MDShunk

Here's where it helps... I did a basement about 2 months ago, unfinished, poured walls. The owner wanted a rec about every 10 feet. There were 40 odd recs in that basement. I just did a sleeve from each rec up to the floor joists. 54" pieces, each with a box offset in the end. I cut 40, 54" pieces, reemed them all and put in a pile. Got the offsetter and cranked an offset in all 40 pieces in maybe 5 minutes or less. I'd have hated to do that with a regular EMT bender. The offsetters are a bit pricey, but I love them. A welcome addition on any pipe job. Guaranteed no dog legs at the boxes.