By
eHow Home & Garden Editor
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Step1
Determine how long the piece of conduit needs to be including the bend. An example would be measuring from the ceiling (where the conduit turns down 90 degrees) to the top of the box you are taking the conduit to. This length is called the stub length.
Step2
Mark your conduit, measuring from one end of the pipe, at the stub length distance.
Step3
Find the take up length for your specific conduit. 1/2-inch EMT has a take up of 5 inches, 3/4-inch EMT or 1/2-inch rigid conduits have a take up of 6 inches, 1-inch EMT and 3/4-inch rigid both have an 8-inch take up, and finally 1 1/4-inch EMT or 1-inch rigid both have an 11-inch take up.
Step4
Make a mark that is the take up distance back towards the end from which you made your first mark. You now have two marks, the second mark being closer to the end you started from than the first mark.
Step5
Place the bender in your hand with the side the lip is on touching the ground. Place the lip underneath the pipe at the take up mark you made with the footrest of the bender on the side that is closest to your first mark.
Step6
Apply steady and even pressure with your foot and pull on the bender bar to begin bending the conduit.
Step7
Look at the bender as you are bending and notice it has degrees marks on it. Simply bend to the desired degree mark to get the bend you want. If you test fit the bend and it does not work, then re-adjust using the bender.
