Matching Center Kick: Line Up Different Kicks
Quick answer
To line up kicks of different sizes, give every conduit the same run from the back of its 90 to its kick’s bend center, measured along the run, and solve each conduit’s angle from run = kick ÷ tan(angle) + OD/2 + half the kick bend’s gain. On a 10" run on a 1/2" EMT hand bender, a 4" kick takes 22.5° and a 2" kick 11.7°.
When several conduits kick by different amounts, bending them all at one angle puts their kick bends at different places along the run. To line the bends up, give each conduit the same run from the back of its 90 to its kick’s bend center, and let the calculator find each angle.
What to measure
- Run from back of 90 to bend center: along the run, not along the slanted leg. Use the same value for every conduit that has to line up.
- Kick: this conduit’s own kick, center to center.
How to bend it
- Enter the run and the first conduit’s kick.
- Bend the 90, then mark the Kick mark from the back of the 90 and bend the kick to the Bend angle, hook facing the 90, as on the Kick screen.
- Change the kick for the next conduit, keep the run, and bend it to its own angle.
Where the numbers come from
run = kick ÷ tan(angle) + OD/2 + g(angle)/2- Run from back of 90 to bend center
- 10"
- Kicks
- 4" and 2"
- 4" kick
- 22.5°, kick mark 9 1/2", shrink 3/4"
- 2" kick
- 11.7°, kick mark 9 5/16", shrink 3/16"
If it turns orange or red
Red with no numbers means no angle up to 90° fits: the run is too short for that kick. Otherwise the colors are the Kick screen’s at the solved angle. A big kick on a short run needs a steep angle, which can bring the kick bend too close to the 90; lengthen the run for every conduit if you can.
Get the marks for your bender
BendMate works this out from your bender’s radius and deduct, flags a bend that won’t work, and shows you every mark.
Common questions
Why don’t kicks of different sizes line up at the same angle?
Bending them all at one angle puts their kick bends at different places along the run. Keeping the same run from the back of each 90 to its kick’s bend center, and letting each angle change, lines the bends up.
How do you measure the run for a matching center kick?
Measure along the run, not along the slanted leg, from the back of the 90 to the center of the kick bend, and use the same value for every conduit. By the multiplier method, measure from the center of the stub instead of its back.
What if a big kick won’t fit on a short run?
A big kick on a short run needs a steep angle, which can bring the kick bend too close to the 90. Lengthen the run for every conduit if you can.