how to bend black enamel steel conduit

[golddust]

Hi,

Yesterday I used black enamel covered steel conduit for the first time. I was using a Hilmor bender to shape it but every bend I did caused the black coating to break and flake off leaving an unsightly result.


How can I bend coated conduit without the coating coming off like that?

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[golddust]

Well the flaking happens on the side of the conduit that is being stretched and the wheel is clear of that bit. Again the area isn't touching the former either.

It's basically that the coating is being stretched from straight into a 90 deg bend and instead of being flexible it's flaking off like dry paint.

I would use galvanised but I wanted a black finish and wanted to avoid painting then waiting for it to dry.

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[golddust]

Oh well

Can you suggest a decent supplier? Would need to be mail order I suspect, unless they've got an outlet in the south west.

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[bernardgreen]

May over the top in expense but for short exposed lengths I have sent "poor quality" conduit sheathed in heat shrink sleeving that had been left over from another job.

 

[ColJack]

oohh rubber coated conduit... kinky....

it's not crap conduit, all black enamel does that..

black enamel is best used in straight runs and boxes used..
if you absolutely need radiused bends, then either re-paint after bending, or use pre-made bends..

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[ColJack]

maybe it's just the companies I work for cutting costs and buying cheap conduit then, but most of the BE I've worked with has flaked off when bending..

you have to install boxes or inspection points every 6M or 180 degrees worth of bends anyway..

 

[sjwkmje]

maybe it's just the companies I work for cutting costs and buying cheap conduit then, but most of the BE I've worked with has flaked off when bending..

you have to install boxes or inspection points every 6M or 180 degrees worth of bends anyway..

Agree all the stuff I worked with (BE) fell off and I did a fair bit of ducting work over the time. I got some from my local supplier for a job at my parents house (120 mile call out!) and it never once cracked the stuff I got hold off from up here in Yorkshire cracked first time. Tend to use galv now and if its on show most people seem to prefer black SWA with low profile cleats.

Adam

 

[ban-all-sheds]

What's the best stuff to use to repair damage to the coating, e.g. vice marks?

Any old black aerosol from Halfords?

 

[Adam_151]

I'd have thought something like this would be more suited, Bas

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hammerite-S...1-4064452?ie=UTF8&s=diy&qid=1243535944&sr=1-1

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Ta

 

[sparkysm]

many moons ago when i was at collage we used black enamel conduit, but we was given a can of black enamel paint to repair bending marks.
its not cheap condiut its just physics