How the Skybender EMT Bender Simplifies Commercial Electrical Jobs
Let’s face it, almost every commercial electrician can count on bending a lot of pipe. Pipework is often described as a skill somewhere between art and science. One part math, one part feel, and 100% frustration at times. Most commercial electricians will log many hours in a boom or scissor lift at some point as well. Those two tasks have been segregated for the most part despite the frequency of elevated pipe work… Until now. Skybender is an EMT bender that allows you to bend, ream, and install EMT – all without leaving the platform. The potential time savings are immeasurable, pun intended. Elevate your craft by bending pipe in a new way on Skybender. It ships ready to use right out of the box. Are you ready?!
Laying Out the Job
We all love the space that an empty building or steel shell allows us electricians. There is plenty of driving room for the lifts and open ceilings to get conductors from side to side, up and down, or anywhere else you may need. But if you are remodeling a restaurant or any small commercial building, we all know those appliances each need dedicated home runs. That’s a lot of paths back to the panel.
Plus, connecting subpanels around the property may involve pipework as well. Ceiling purlins up high need EMT to protect conductors and we have not yet mentioned fire alarms, access controls, low voltage, security, data, lighting, or receptacles. The list goes on and on. Suddenly, you need thousands of feet of pipe, even for the most modestly sized coffee shop. Fear not, Skybender has you covered for ½”, ¾”, and 1” EMT. In terms of installing the conduit runs, this tool has everything except wasted time.
Prep Your Day
Attach Skybender to any scissor or boom lift that features square or rectangular guardrails. The threaded base clamp knobs will remind you of screwing in a basic bench vise. Load your conduit onto the lift deck and head up there with your tape measure, pouch full of fittings, and a bandsaw, if necessary. One of the many appeals to Skybender is that its stationary design will not impede the functionality of the lift whatsoever. With the presence of Skybender on the lift, you can see its worth and already envision the value it adds.
Sidebar: Forgo the pouch and elevate your install game with the Aerial Tool Bin for all your couplings, beam clamps, and box connectors. Install this deep bin on the corner guardrails of any similar lift. It is even able to stash your impact driver and level. You can go up on the deck with little more than a pencil and tape measure on your person and enjoy snag-free working with a full range of body motion up there.
The How-To of Skybender’s Can-Do Features
To begin using Skybender, open the Retaining Block and insert a piece of conduit into one of Skybender’s three shoe channels. The snap-pin clicks in and ensures that you have a positive position locked. Bend your pipe to your desired custom angle or one of the commonly used degree markings that are engraved atop each shoe (10°, 22°, 30°, 45°, 60° and 90°). If you need to deburr a cut end, Skybender has an integrated reamer on the base. Should the bend need a tweak, there is also a built-in handle shaft that functions as a straightener. Unlatch and swivel the Skybender assembly in the opposite direction while holding the pipe to release your bend. You can precisely fine-tune your bends with confidence, knowing that the pipe is securely fixed in the bender.
Level Up Your EMT Bending with Skybender
Installing the Skybender EMT Bender
Skybender will quickly become your new favorite conduit-bending helper. The added benefit of it being attached to the lift is monumental. It follows you around the job site never out of reach. Lightweight and durable, its anodized aluminum and in steel with powder coating construction means precise pipework job after job. It’s like having 3 traditional shoe benders at your fingertips, all while being able to ream and tweak at the same station. The squareness of the platform guardrail allows you to directly revalidate the accuracy of your 90-degree bend without removing the pipe from the bending machine. You, not the bender, manipulate the pipe instead.
No Holding Up the Show: The Most Efficient EMT Bender
Inspectors will love you on a job site because you’ll be finished twice as fast. You will complete all your high work and get out of the way of the other trades. You can even work alone on those days that you don’t have—or maybe don’t want—a helper. It is the ultimate lift accessory for conduit installers. Some may grow so fond of it that running pipe up high on a lift without it will be unacceptable. The only reason to come down is because you’ve run out of pipe, and you have to go down to get another bundle or two.
Why Skybender Matters
Seconds add up to minutes and minutes add up to hours. Every commercial electrician knows that mantra. Skybender stands head-and-shoulders above the absolute best pipe-bending inventions, tips, or tricks. Very quickly, you’ll notice 3 dimensions of savings:
⏳ Time: The tool design and mounting location lead to fewer lift movements and faster installation times. Skybender essentially eliminates the need to repetitively raise and lower a lift just to bend conduit. Oftentimes, it is frustrating to know that lowering and exiting the lift platform takes longer than setting up and executing a minor bend. Skybender eliminates that by allowing you to measure, bend, ream, straighten, and then install in place.
💪 Body: Superior ergonomics allows increased comfort when bending repeatedly. Skybender allows you to work with a nice upright stance at a comfortable waist height. You’ll fatigue much slower as you measure, bend, and install in the exact mounting spot where the pipe is needed. Gone are the days of pipes sloshing around and rolling on you. No more straining or contorting your body to see pencil marks on your conduit.
⚙ Material: Visibility of degree demarcations and single-person use eliminates communication mistakes. It also prevents confusion and misunderstandings if the installer is shouting measurements to coworkers down on the floor doing the bending. One user, one installer. This all leads to fewer pipe mistakes and more material savings. You may also save your voice.
Skybender: The Ultimate EMT Bender
Skybender is a tool that every commercial electrician can appreciate. It is intuitive and easy to use, makes sense, and solves a problem. It certainly has a lot going for itself and is poised to become quite a revolutionary product. No project manager will ever scoff at time savings on a job. Nor will any electrician turn down the right tool for the job or a smarter, more efficient way to work. This EMT bender is designed with exactly that in mind. Rack-A-Tiers has built a better mousetrap here. Skybender enhances the pipe craft of the Master and helps the apprentice recognize the concept of speedy, but clean, workmanship. It is lightweight, functional out of the box, and phenomenally improves aerial pipe bending and installation. Be the envy of your peers and start bending pipe the smart way!
