How to Bend 3/4″ EMT Conduit

Three-quarter-inch EMT is the workhorse size on most commercial jobs — big enough for real branch circuits, small enough to bend by hand all day. Everything here is the same bending you already know, with the numbers that belong to 3/4": take-up 6", minimum bend radius about 4-1/2", and a bender head stamped 3/4".

The three numbers that matter

• Take-up: 6". Every 90° stub-up mark goes at desired height − 6". It is stamped on the bender head — verify it, because a worn or borrowed bender can differ.
• Minimum bend radius: ~4-1/2". Hand benders are built to meet it; a tighter bend kinks the conduit and fails inspection.
• Matching bender required. 3/4" EMT (0.922" actual OD) in a 1/2" bender kinks; in a 1" bender it bends a loose, oversized radius.

Worked example 1: 18" stub-up

Mark at 18" − 6" = 12" from the end of the conduit. Arrow on the mark, firm foot pressure, bend to 90° on the degree scale — bend a hair past and let springback settle it. Check: the back of the bend should sit at 18". If it lands at 17-3/4", your bender's real take-up is 6-1/4" — note it and move on.

Worked example 2: 2" offset at 30°

Mark spacing: 2" × 2.0 (30° multiplier) = 4" between marks. Shrink: 2" × 1/4" = 1/2" — subtract it from the measured run length first. Arrow on the first mark, 30°; flip, arrow on the second mark, 30° the other way. The conduit steps over 2".

Back-to-back 90s with the star

For parallel stubs: bend the first 90 at the arrow, measure the stub spacing from the back of the first bend, mark, line the star up with the mark, and reverse the bender for the second 90. Measuring from the arrow instead of the star is the classic 6" error on 3/4" conduit.

Field tips for 3/4"

• 3/4" takes noticeably more force than 1/2" — keep the conduit flat on the ground and your weight over the bender foot, or the stick will walk and take your mark with it.
• Cut and ream before bending when you can; a sharp inside edge will shave wire insulation on the pull.
• When a stick carries several bends, bend first and cut to final length last — shrink accounting is easier on a long stick.
• If your offsets keep landing shallow, you are probably under-bending: watch the degree scale, not your arms.