Conduit BendingBy Blissom · Updated 2026-10-23
Layout values: check them against your own bender, on scrap first.
Short answer: subtract your bender's take-up from the stub height, mark that distance from the end, put the arrow on the mark with the hook facing the end, and bend to 90°. Take-up: 1/2" EMT 5", 3/4" EMT 6", 1" EMT 8", 1-1/4" EMT 11".
How to bend a 90° stub-up
- Decide where the end must finish. Stub height is measured from the floor (the back of the finished 90) to the end of the conduit. If you are measuring to a box knockout, a connector or the conduit's centerline instead, convert that to the finished stub height first.
- Subtract the take-up for your bender and mark that distance from the end of the conduit.
- Set the bender with the hook toward the free end and the arrow on the mark, the conduit fully seated in the shoe.
- Bend with the technique your bender's maker specifies. Most small-size floor bends use steady foot pressure on the heel with the conduit supported; some makers specify handle-up bending for 1" and 1-1/4". Stop at the shoe's 90° reference and check with a level.
Take-up chart for hand benders
| EMT size | Take-up | Also bends rigid | NEC minimum centerline radius (one-shot / full shoe) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2" | 5" | — | 4" |
| 3/4" | 6" | 1/2" | 4-1/2" |
| 1" | 8" | 3/4" | 5-3/4" |
| 1-1/4" | 11" | 1" | 7-1/4" |
These take-ups are documented in Klein's hand-bender guides and are common reference values; other makers and individual models may differ, so use the deduct marked on your own bender. Shoes rated for it bend rigid one size down with the same take-up (for example the Klein 51607 3/4" EMT shoe is listed for 1/2" rigid and IMC); confirm the rating on your shoe before bending rigid. The radius column lists the NEC minimum centerline radius for a one-shot or full-shoe bend; actual shoes may match or exceed it, so use your shoe's published radius when working out gain or developed length. The bender deduct chart adds gain and setback.
Worked examples
- 1/2" EMT, 12" stub: 12 − 5 = 7". Arrow on 7".
- 3/4" EMT, 18" finished stub height: 18 − 6 = 12". Mark 12" from the free end.
- 1" EMT, 24" stub: 24 − 8 = 16".
- 1-1/4" EMT, 30" stub: 30 − 11 = 19".
The shortest stub you can bend
The shoe needs straight conduit past the mark to grip, and how much depends on its geometry. The calculator uses take-up plus about 2" (about 7" on 1/2" EMT) as a general warning threshold; it is not a verified minimum for every bender, and the maker's minimum stub takes precedence. For a shorter stub, bend a longer one and trim the straight leg, provided the cut stays beyond the end of the curve and leaves enough for the connector; otherwise change the layout or use a factory elbow.
Check your own take-up on scrap
On a scrap piece of the same conduit, mark 10" from the end, put the arrow on the mark with the hook toward that end, and bend a finished 90°. Measure the stub from the floor (the back of the 90) to the end. Your take-up is that stub height minus 10": a 15" stub means a 5" take-up. Compare it with the maker's figure before relying on it, and enter it under "Other bender" in the calculator if it differs.
Spring-back and checking for 90°
Bend to the shoe's 90° reference, release the pressure and check the stub with a torpedo level on the vertical leg; checking the horizontal leg too catches a stub that leans. If the conduit springs back, make a small correction as the bender's instructions describe. How much varies with the material, the shoe and the technique, so check every bend rather than overbending by a fixed amount.
Inspect the finished bend
Look for flattening, kinks or cracks. A bend must not damage the tubing or effectively reduce its inside diameter (NEC 358.24), so a flattened or kinked stub gets cut out and bent again. Work with the correct size shoe, eye protection and secure footing, keep control of the handle, and cut and deburr trimmed ends before pulling wire.
Common mistakes
- Using the star or the notch instead of the arrow. Stubs use the arrow.
- Hook facing the wrong end: the bend can form in the wrong direction or the conduit may not seat in the shoe.
- Measuring stub height to the top of the horizontal pipe instead of the floor.
- During a floor bend, letting the conduit slip, twist or lose support, which distorts the bend or changes the stub length. For other techniques, follow the maker's positioning instructions.
Sources: NEC 2023 358.24 and Chapter 9, Table 2; Klein Tools Conduit Bender Guide (stub take-up, offset multipliers and shrink, saddles); Klein Tools Conduit Bending Basics (90° stub-up take-up table: 5", 6", 8", 11"). Method.
Questions electricians ask
What is the take-up for each EMT size?
The common hand-bender take-ups (deducts) in Klein’s guides are 5" for 1/2" EMT, 6" for 3/4", 8" for 1" and 11" for 1-1/4". A 14" stub on 3/4" puts the arrow 8" from the end; an 18" stub on 1" puts it 10" from the end. Other makers and models can differ, so use the number on your own shoe.
Is take-up the same as deduct?
Yes. Take-up and deduct are two names for the same number: how much shorter than the stub height the mark goes, because the bend itself uses up conduit before the pipe turns vertical.
Which way does the hook face for a stub-up?
For the arrow method the hook faces the free end you measured from, the end that becomes the stub. Facing it the other way can bend the conduit in the wrong direction or keep it from seating in the shoe.
What is the difference between take-up and gain?
Take-up is used for marking: stub height minus take-up is the mark. Gain is a cut-length allowance: to find the total conduit length, subtract the gain from the sum of the leg dimensions, with the gain and the legs measured to the same reference points. Gain depends on the bend radius and on how the legs are measured.
How short a stub can I bend?
It depends on how the shoe grips the conduit. The calculator warns below take-up plus about 2" (7" on 1/2" EMT, 8" on 3/4", 10" on 1"), a general threshold rather than a verified minimum for every bender; the maker’s minimum takes precedence. For a shorter stub, bend a longer one and trim the straight leg, as long as the cut stays beyond the end of the bend, or use a factory elbow.
Why is my finished stub too tall or too short?
Usually the take-up does not match your shoe, the stub was measured to a different reference than the back of the 90, the bend stopped short of or went past 90°, or the conduit slipped in the shoe. Check your own take-up on scrap (see below) and measure from the same surface every time.
Do I add or subtract when bending a 90?
For a first stub with the arrow method, subtract: stub height minus take-up gives the arrow mark. For the second 90 of a back-to-back bend, the star-point method measures the spacing from the back of the first finished 90 and lines the star up with that mark, following your bender maker’s instructions.
Every shoe you own, already set up
- Klein, Greenlee, IDEAL, Milwaukee, Southwire and Gardner Bender shoes, EMT and rigid
- Your own take-up and radius, pinned so the right shoe is always selected
- Back-to-back 90s and the conduit length a U needs
- Level screen that buzzes at 90°
Android only. There is no iPhone version yet; the free calculators on this site work on any phone.
$7.99 one time · no subscription · no ads · works offline