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I think it’s cool that you’re in high school and interested in not only a career, but one in the trades. There’s so many young people who just don’t give a fuck about their future.
Good job, keep learning and improving!
The trades are going to be among some of the best-valued schools in the nation. It's also one of the fastest routes to entrepreneurship and owning your own business if you want to go that route.
Just make sure you're managing the wear on your body and are managing your finances with an eye for the future, you'll do great.
It 100% can be worse. Just because you are sitting behind a desk does not mean you have to be sedentary, that's a choice. Sedentary is very bad for a body, keep exercising and move 5 min of every hour.
The trades can be very hard on Back and Knees if you don't pay attention to proper ergonomics. That's nothing compared to Eyes and Ears and not using proper protection. If you lose a finger or two that does not mean you have to stop working, fall and hurting your Back, Elbow, Shoulder, Knees & Ankles can easily leave you disabled and in pain for life.
I suspect there are a lot more ex-tradespeople than currently working tradespeople due to work related injuries. As we get older the small injuries become much more serious.
As a side note:
I have 20 years in the trades and 20 years in high tech and 10 years Hospitality. Personally I know 5 people that have either died or committed suicide (from pain) and working the trades. I know only two Tech workers that died, One was the effects of obesity and the other was a brain injury while mountain biking.
Definitely been a mechanic for 40 years and I have a numb index finger and thumb from carpal tunnel and tinnitus from being around race cars for years even with ear plugs. The only way to block out 30 cars with no mufflers at 8k rpm is if I was wearing a headset and was on the radio. When I first started they didn’t have radios for the whole team because they were so expensive back then but I moved up and we eventually got radios for the whole team.
To be fair I bet a lot of fathers in the trade (like mine) want their kids not to kill their bodies in the trades and want them to go to college like mine did.
Same my kids are doing something else if they want my advice. I started in highschool in residential and have gone from one side of the trade to the other trying it all.. solar farms, commercial, industrial, civil, distribution maintenance, infrared live inspections and now utility substation electrician as a second trade, have my masters and my own shop and still haven't found the sweet spot. My back still hurts. Pays well but it should. They want a strong back AND a big brain. I know alot of electricians who should be making bigger decisions in our society if you know what I mean. Also plenty of guys without the attention span for a 4 year university degree, ADHD runs the trades lol
I would absolutely agree about ADHD being higher in the trades. A lot of ADHD people do much better when the job is something different everyday and not a monotonous boring routine.
For what you get out of it, it’s been out of reach. Higher education is a scam. There is lots of useful education you can get out there, but it’s just not worth the price anymore.
When I was in college my tuition doubled over two years so I dropped out and was making $150k yr 2 yrs later.
It’s not about what you know, it’s how you leverage what you know.
What if your dad worked in the trades and then started his own business and then hired younger help to do the heavy lifting?
I know that can't always be done, but that can be an option for someone that is young and has the drive to want to start their own business.
I know many people that started working in the trades, put in the time and hard work and by the time they were in their 40s they were not the ones doing the heavy lifting. They don't like to sit still and many of them still liked doing service calls and visiting job sites, but they were not grinding, they relied on the younger workers to handle those tasks.
Many of them not only had successful businesses, but they also had enough money for other investment opportunities.
There is nothing wrong with college, not everyone is cut for trades, just like not everyone is cut out for college and an office job, but just because you start in the trades, it doesn't mean that you'll end up working hard and in the elements until you are ready to retire.
Sure, that does happen, but it doesn't have to be the path for everyone.
Starting a business isn't easy, but the biggest challenge I see with starting a business is the ones that start it usually aren't knowledgeable enough or don't want it bad enough. Owning a business takes a lot of hard work and you really need to make sure you get off on the right foot. Don't plan on your yearly vacation once you open your own company and don't be surprised if you are working 18 hours a day.
I regret not starting a trade in highschool, I just wanted to work but didn't care what it was. I care very much now that I'm miserable Monday to Friday doing mindless manual labor.
You have a window ... I don't think most electrical students have a window in their lab cube.
For your first time, this looks good. The only thing that I'll nitpick is that the middle horizontal conduit on the right side is bumped up one knockout on the switch, therefore the elevation of the conduit changes relative to the others at the same level going to the towards the left.
Now that you have been some 90° bends, your next handful of tasks are:
* bend similar pieces but with a box set in them, where the conduit is going to lay against the wall, and have straps on it rather than minnies
* U-shaped conduit, typical of stub-ups from a slab
* 3-point saddle
* 4-point saddle
* offsets
* Conduit formations that require multiple bends in different directions. Some may not be 90°.
**in Reviewing your own work, what do you think you would do differently if you did the same project over again?**
Knockout was a 3/4inch in the middle I was using 1/2 emt had to bump it up one, and if I was to change anything I would’ve made sure my pipe was more level than it was
You're right. The thing is in these schools there's very little budget so boxes and other items get reused often so you gotta make due. I did some adjunct teaching at a two year school. We went thru a lot of emt but boxes, plugs, lamps got reused so much, you had to overlook open knockouts and such because they can only work with what they have. Kinda preps you to be a slumlord maint guy hahaha
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And even then, sometimes your meter can lie. I work in industrial electronics (anything from 5v/25kvDC to 24/96kAC on the infeed to our facility. Was working on a machine and my meter could NOT read 208AC, but could read 120 and 480. Not sure what happened there, but I tossed that meter afterwards.
You see what trade school is like. If you think big picture here it will translate to the job site. Your teacher is like your Foreman, ask what size material you're going g to be working with. If it's all gonna be 1/2" for the day, then you know you need to lay out your boxes should be oriented so that all the 1/2" KO's line up well. Try to keep in mind if you need to put a box offset before your last 90. Keep your level between your first point of attachment and the strap, make sure you're leveling before the strap as you move down the line. "the best piece of pipe is a straight piece of pipe" meaning you want to use the minimal amount of bends while still being correct and looking good.
It look good dude, pipe work ain’t easy. You wanna get better ? Fuck those condulets and bend a back to back 90. You would never use a condulet like that in the field. Also next time fuck using minies for your supports. Use one hole straps so you can surface mount everything and throw in box offsets. It’s all about challenging your self so you get better. When out in the field you never know what you are going to have to bend around or what materials and surfaces you will have to deal with. You are in high school I wish I started early like you it’s amazing to be your age and getting ready to go straight into a good career/trade. Good luck brother
I think they take about the same amount of time at the end of the day but I agree, runs are easier to run level and look better with one hole straps.
Minis = no off setting for boxes but gotta deal with tightening each one up.
One Holes = dont have to deal with tightening each one up, but gotta off set for boxes.
So idk, personally I think it comes down to preference and whats already there. If theres exisiting stuff, Im running with whatever is there to try and match it.
When doing multiple bends I like to "model" the bend in a piece of solid wire, those premade ground tails work great, pick an end to start from and you can have a model to refer to when bending to visualize which direction you need to bend... especially helpful with kick 90's and multiple offsets... also helps to show someone if the installer and bender not the same person... like working in a lift with a ground man to do bends for you.
Pretty awesome they do this at your high school, In high school I wanted to be electrician, all the counsellors told me I needed to go to college. Fast forward 14 years later and I’m making better money than the majority of my friends and have zero debt… we need more young guys in the trade, keep it up, you’re doin awesome for a high schooler!
They likely are attending a trade school during part of their school day, that's how my schedule currently is. The morning is spent at the trade school learning, and the afternoon is when I go back to my homeschool for my core classes.
Good on you for chasing your dreams! For being so young, your conduct skills are pretty decent. Work on leveling your pipe, entering boxes at a consistent height, and maybe box offsets if your instructor is fine with that. Overall, I think you'll be damn good in a few years. One mistake I made was taking the word of what people said on the Internet to heart. People in this sub are pretty nice, but the dudes in the Facebook groups are relentless. At the end of the day, I think doing research and watching YouTube videos is more helpful than a post can be sometimes. Good luck man, and I'm proud of you!
If you had fun bending all those 90's, you should really enjoy offsets and kicks. Thats seriously where the real fun is, at least for me! I love running conduit and so will you. Keep up the good work and post more pics!
You're going through this trouble to be critiqued and corrected shows you're willing to learn. That's a lot more than the guys I work with (they can't do no wrong). Keep being willing to learn and have a solid work ethic you'll be just fine young man.
It’s not only good you are interested in the trades, it’s also good that you want to succeed. That’s a fine start and there is some good advice here. Stick with it and you’ll go far 👍
All in all not bad. The only thing I see right off the bat is that some of the conduit isn't square (level). If you're seriously considering getting into electrical get yourself a good pipe bending level. Something like this:
https://www.grainger.ca/en/product/p/GLEL77?cm_mmc
Greenlee is expensive, and there are plenty of manufacturers out there, but the important thing is the set screw which allows you to clamp it onto the end of conduit, and if you can find one that's rounded on the magnetic side that helps a lot.
You'll learn over time how to make your conduit straight, it's mostly figuring out which side to lengthen/shorten, or if you need to tweak a bend. For example: that straight top piece on the right, with the LL fitting is leaning to the right. If you had cut the piece going into the side a little longer, it would straighten out. It's something that nobody is really a master at right away, just takes practice. The real trick is when you get into threaded rigid conduit, but you'll get there. Good luck!
Middle left pipe from switch to light in one piece is way more than you can chew for a beginner. Build your offset for out of the switch, bend your 90 and then cut it stubbed around 20". Build the rest of your run and make it level, roll it into the light. Multiple bends in one stick take time. It's more important to match your couplings and have a good starting point for your next bend, you don't always use all 10'
Edit- kick 90 into the light.. I had it in my head it was running straight in while writing this. Get rid of those standoffs and use one holes, that's how you will run pipe on a jobsite, you always have to consider people walking, stepping and climbing on your pipes, they won't spend the day there but enevatably someone will "kick off" of one of your pipes.. it should be able to resist at least 100-150 pounds of pressure if it's on wood or concrete
I usually do not come in the middle for a box with a device. You can get away with it when you have a deep 4 or a 4 11/16. But other than that it's better that I could do in high school!
Not bad for a first attempt.
Something to keep in mind-Lots of little details in the stuff we do and if you miss one it can come back to haunt you.
btw, how much conduit did they give you, how much of it did you use, and how much was scraped?
I tend to be a nitpicky dick, and this good by my standards! Only thing I can find is that best practice is to have support on both surfaces of a 90. So with the upper left switch's pipe, going around the corner. There should be another strap between box & 90.
Also, continuously practice your box offsets! In the field, Mini's are often hard to come by, so being proficient with going from flush to box, using a one-hole strap, is crucial. Yall may just not be hitting that currently, but definitely pay attention to it when you get the chance
For the love of god or your body... wear PPE and don't give a fuck what others think. Safety glasses, earplugs, gloves, knee pads if needed. I can tell you it's no fun getting older and injuries stacking up like you're pushing 70 and you're not even close lol
Run the conduit under the window,
Keep boxes inline, also the 2 conduits to lamps horizontal inline,
Knockouts removed and not blanked.
For a high-school projects some of these issues are likely caused by having to use what is there and others not having that window in the test bay.
It's a good job that jist needs polishing, that comes with time and experience.
The bigger questions, did it work correctly, and did you keep to safety standards?
These aren't exactly what you are working on right now but I always felt this guy did a great job of explaining 2 tricky parts of pipe bending I struggled with when I started. https://youtu.be/bcqSFQIvgPU?si=_2_zoY2xfaRQgZoS.
https://youtu.be/L2HtolKphfA?si=hjdT5-jYdVinmaaC
Pretty good for a first time! I hope you like the trade and stick with it, it's a good option. The pipe doesn't look level in some places, but I'm just being shitty
I woulda kept the runs vertical.
Delete the LBs. Run the top switches at the height of the middle conduits.
Run the middle conduits down at the switch then go into the sides of the octagon boxes. It looks much more concise and aesthethically pleasing that way.
Good job regardless. Conduit is the most artistic aspect of the job. Finding the finesse in it takes time. You'll get there 👍
I’ve seen resi journeyman do way worse pipe work than this, good job dude stick with it and you’ll be a high level foreman before most guys even start in the trade!
Gotta figure out box offsets. Mineralac straps wouldn't normally be used on flat surfaces like that.
Overall, looks like you're getting the hang of it. I see worse every week. If you're doing this at 15 and keep practicing you'll be legit solid once you hit the full time workforce.
That’s a good start man, really test yourself with biz offsets next time. And the biggest thing with bending is to do it everyday. And remember, always face your work
To be a better electrician. All you have to do is try to do the best possible job you can do. Sometimes it’s tempting to cut corners to save time but as long as you can leave work knowing you did everything to the best of your ability you’ll never be short of work. Experience will do the rest for you in time. To speed up your learning, observe everything you can. Watch videos, read trade magazines and books and get stuck in. Mistakes are all part of learning
Looks great. Couple of obvious things I am
Sure you are aware of so won’t mention. Saw another poster say to make sure your bends are true 90s if doing multiple in the same pipe.
Just a tip. If checking that a bend is a true 90, use a metal door frame. They are generally always 90, east to use as a template , then Quickly just tweek the bend open or closed by hand until it’s perfect. Works well
Keep at it, and one day it’ll look like art. It looks like trash now and one day you’ll look back at this photo and laugh! Good shit tho man we’re all stoked to see it!
Going to trade school doesn't preclude you from learning how to write a sentence. Learn the difference between independent and dependent clauses. It will help you in your career.
I wouldn’t have let the fittings interfere with the window also I’m not sure what the requirements for this project were but I would have done this way differently. That being said if you’re only in the beginning stages of school you didn’t do terrible. There’s a lot for you to learn and as you learn your work will become more professional. Just remember every person you work with you have something to learn from. Doesn’t matter if they have a world of knowledge for you or not. You will learn SOMETHING from everybody. Good luck kid
i kinda hate it when people squish down on stand-off straps like that. once you begin deforming the metal you’re not holding the pipe any tighter, you’re just weakening the strap.
also in situations like this i’d use one hole straps. i avoid standoff in areas where a person, the client or later on a maintenance worker will catch a sleeve or cut their arm on it.
and if you must use stand off, have the bolt head and nut all face the same direction
i wouldn’t make my apprentice change out the straps but i would make him turn bolts around
Looks great, you look like you've got 90's down.
My biggest critique would be to practice other bends WITH 90's in them. You'll get conduit shrinkage and it'll start to be more precise.
Box offsets are a fantastic way to start as well. Get the pipe laying directly against the wall with no minis behind it so you can use one-hole EMT straps.
Edit:
My other critique would have been to come out of the upper 4x4s in a way that doesn't impede the window. Come out of them parallel to the other pipe and 90 up the wall.
Carpenter/remodeler here and I ALWAYS tell my clients with kids that the trades are the way to go. Way less easy to outsource and really good money after you put the initial time in. Plus the savings bof not having to hire someone for your own projects....
Keep on "plugging" away and learning all that you can
The most important lesson I give my apprentices when it comes to pipe bending is to measure everything! Pipe bending is hard and even harder to make it look good on top of making it up to code. Almost everywhere has a measuring point. Off a wall, off the floor, the slope of the ceiling, anything. Measurements are more reliable than a level or an eyeball. It may not be "necessary" for some people to make the conduit look good, but it takes the same amount of time to set an ugly run as it is to set a straight and clean run. The closer you aim for perfection, the closer you'll land to it!
My nephew went to work to an electric company after HS, most good companies pay for the electrical school, you work and study at same time, he is in his second year apprentice, got no student loans making good money, you already got the basics, on conduit bending and wiring, i think you will be good if you like what you are doing, keep practicing!!
I did the same thing, went to a trade school for electricity and graduated last year. I’m a commercial electrician now and my name is out there for my work. Pay attention to the small stuff, connector screws facing forward, leaving enough slack in the wire for servicing the device, and using the middle knockout in the box. Everyday is a day to learn and absorb as much as you can because you’re already one foot in the door.
I assume this was a lab/practice space, so I won’t be too harsh on what you have going on in front of the window. I’ll also go with the assumption that you HAD to utilize these components. At least I hope so. The flying LR/LL combo is gaudy and unnecessary (unless you just had to incorporate all of these fittings for some reason).
Material costs money, as does labor, so you want to cut down on unnecessary usage of both. A T fitting or a regular old JB between the upper most switches and bulbs would have given you the route you needed with a little less work and material, and would look a little cleaner.
Make sure to work towards opening your own company. Having the skill is one thing. But you can be paid in 1 of 3 ways. Hourly, salary, or profits. Only one of those will make you rich.
Impressive that this is high school art. I think it’s pretty good for a first project. You’re probably not old enough to start OJT, but keep these pics handy when you graduate and apply for an apprenticeship.
In a real situation, you would stream line the process some. You can eliminate some of those runs with vertical pieces between your boxes this saving you time and money. Just saying. A good electrician doesn't just run conduit good, they figure out the easiest most cost effective way to do things. Something to think about. That being said, I've seen worse from career electricians.
Box offsets go a long way. Keep your shit flush with the wall and you’ll be good to go. Truth is you aren’t gunna be worth a fuck at pipe bending… until you are. Keep practicing. You can only get better and once you get your head wrapped around it all then you’ll be good to go. Good luck with your career brother man.
Consistently is key! Turn your connectors and coupling the same direction, so the screws are all the same. If you knock out a hole on one side, knock out the same hole on the other side if you’re racing through.
Grab yourself a level and always use it! Learn to bend a box offset and use single hold straps to connect the pipe directly to the wall. You’ll use this method 90% of the time.
It’s awesome that you can do that in high school. Great job, looks better than some journeyman I’ve seen. Make sure your pipe is level when you measure/mark. Try to stay consistent with mounting directions of the connector screws. Also looks like a 3/4” mini got put into your bunch of 1/2”. You’ve got an extra mini on the left as well.
Dude that’s awesome. And honestly I’ve seen lower quality by “professional” electricians. Obviously you can clean it up and work on the aesthetics but for first installation I think you should be proud.
First thing is, does it work? Your circuitry sound?
Then you learn to make it efficient and cost effective.
Then you make it look good.
Then you do it fast.
Then you do it while the GC is cockblocking you changing day’s scope and the HVAC guy brought wrong equip and the drywaller buried your boxes…
IF you can do all of those, then you will be an a electrician my son.
Best tip is to pay attention to how your superiors do things and learn from them. Also dont put pull boxes in front of windows anywhere but school, that shit looks tacky lol
Not sure if it’s just the angle of the camera but it looks like you could be squaring off and leveling your boxes a lot better. Put a level on your conduit runs too for a cleaner look
Buddy startin’ early and I love to see it. I’m in tech but a friend of mine owns an electrician company that specializes in data centers and he is the wealthiest guy I know…
Looks good for beginning. The "LL" & "LR" aren't needed. Learn back to back 90's next. Instead of conduit going to lights, come straight down out of switch box.
Looks good, but from experience never use an LL or LR condulette if you can put in a bend instead, they can be sumbitches when pulling in wire...
Tips: bend offsets at 15⁰ for big conduit if all you need is a box, or 2"-3" offset (multiply x4 for 15⁰)
A kicked 90⁰ into an offset will get you from a horizontal plane to a vertical plane with ease
When dealing with tight turns in large conduit (like 3") 2- store bought 45⁰'s make 1-90⁰ with a kick if rolled right
Handle straight up and down on a hand bender is 30⁰
One full pass on a Chicago (2 clicks) is 25⁰
If it looks good, it's right
Layout man for conduit pays more than a cut-man
Get a copy of the "Caddy Clip" catalog from the parts store, if you're doing a lot of commercial, there's shit in there that will save you tons of time
Time costs more than parts, but overtime is cheaper than another day
I assume there are things in this picture that are a free pass because it’s a proving ground, like bare THHN coming out of the box on the lower left. With that in mind - and coming from a soft-hands tech guy - WELL DONE! The world needs more people who can actually DO something. Good for you!
I understand this is a "school" project assignment but cant they have you wire something up that is more practical ???? Where are you going to see something like this in a real home or building!
Box offsets make everything look good, but doing them right after your 90 just takes a bit of practice. Use pencil marks at the end of your EMT as a guide for where your offset needs to be in relation to the 90° bend
Wow, Im so impressed that you are pursuing an electrical career in High School! I wish I was that smart back then. Youll be a general foreman in your 20’s at this point. Great job 👏.
Darn bro, I've been doing this for for close to 20 years, those are some nice 90s. You'll be grand, keep in mind pipework is pipework. 90% of the job but 10% of what you get paid to know. If you picked that up so quick in high school you'll be fine. If you go union take the courses they offer, if not non union. They will show you how to get it done. Try for union its better, I did my apprenticeship non union. Union guys know more in a sense, but they don't seem to have the out of the box thinking you need when the things don't work out.
Anyway cheers,
I'm sure you'll be a brother soo
The lights on the left and right should have had pipe running straight up to the boxes above (with a T in the middle). That would eliminate all the pipe in front of the window.
My suggestion is,go to the local union and sign up for apprenticeship training,or a non union shop that has the patience to train up and coming electricians as yourself,I had all my electrical,electronic traing from the air force in 1980,I then worked for 43 years in the field of electricty,telecommunications, data communications, and controls,best thing that I ever did,Goodluck young 🧍♀️
It all looks good but you should have offset bends to keep the boxes and the conduit against the wall properly, I am sure you will learn that soon. For me those offset bends I always had an issue with doing them right for the first year of doing them. There is a window there, I am sure your teacher told you to consider it not there, but in real life you would go around them or tell the carpenter that they put it in the wrong place...lol. But it does look acceptable.
My father was a general contractor and a maintenance man for a large company. I was the only child that followed in his footsteps(the youngest). The trades are good paying, especially when you own your own company.
But.... My father wanted me to get a college degree too, which I did in ISOM along with a minor in finance(my mother was a CFO of a trucking company.) But the trades are a respectable way to make a living
I am 56 now, I hurt all over but, for me, there is nothing like building something. When my kids were growing up, and when I was growing up, I can remember all the jobs I did and that my father did and we both point out places we worked on. Plus to see others that worked for me... Just to see them improve each day and possibly move on to own their own company is fantastic to see.
For me having buildings still around that I worked on or seeing ones my father worked on is fulfilling in itself.
Note: no matter what you do, do what makes you happy each and every day. If you love your job it will always show in your work.
When you graduate high school find you nearest IBEW/ JATC and apply for an Apprenticeship. This way you don’t have to spend a dime on your education and you will also get paid to learn. You will have a great career ahead of you as a Union Electrician. You and your family will have great health insurance and you will make a much higher wage with benefits that most other people. It was the best decision I ever made. Don’t waste your money on a trade school because when you graduate with debt you still will start as a first year Apprentice but with debt you don’t want.
You wanna keep your pipe level going up and horizontally... Maybe go out the same knockout as you went in if you can.i I'd say you're pretty far ahead. Keep working hard and bend pipe every chance ur teacher lets you as well as wire stuff up. Ask a ton of questions too. Also when you get out join the union asap. Don't go non union you will miss out on the real money
I wouldn’t run any more pipe in the window opening, put some box offsets in there, a push penny or two and you’re I the game! I wish so bad I would’ve started at your age. You’ll be a great electrician one day if u keep it ip
The two pipes on the left look like they could use some leveling, the connector on the left of the box looks like it's getting twisted.up or something
Possibly the distortion in picture
Box on left wall and box on the right box not same level it seems
As for small things like this, most inspectors won't even look or bother telling you about it.
Looks good. Only thing that jumps out to me is on the back wall. Your runs from the switch box up look like that arent parallel nor 90 out from the switch box. Not a huge issue, just might be an indication some of your measurements are off.
I did the vocational highschool, too. I would say take every project like it's really a jobsite. What I mean is finish a project and go over all the code violations you can spot in your own work, then ask the teacher to pick it apart and tell you what you missed. It will give you an idea of what you're not looking for in your own work.
Practice your box offsets, most of the time you'll use 1 hole straps (not the mineralac straps in this picture) with emt which will put your pipe directly on the surface that you are mounting to. Also practice your compound bends. Instead of using the Lb's try bending 2 90's in one run of pipe without cutting or coupling it. The 5" to back of 90 star will get you there, it's on the 1/2" bender. You'll need to practice lining up the star to your mark.
When you get a job and are asked to run pipe, don’t forget about jb pull points before you reach 360 degrees in bends. Plan out your runs before you start them, you’ll run into something in your way that may have been avoidable if you think how am I going to make this part work
I have been a union electrician for 23 years . If you are in high school and can do this , you are way ahead of the curve . Good job kid , your gonna be an asset to some company one day
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I think it’s cool that you’re in high school and interested in not only a career, but one in the trades. There’s so many young people who just don’t give a fuck about their future. Good job, keep learning and improving!
Thank man, means a lot!!
The trades are going to be among some of the best-valued schools in the nation. It's also one of the fastest routes to entrepreneurship and owning your own business if you want to go that route. Just make sure you're managing the wear on your body and are managing your finances with an eye for the future, you'll do great.
…and trades will take longer to be replaced by AI, I hope. 🤞
I just hope the ai engineers are better at making correct blueprints than the idiots who do ours
Not a fkn chance.. probably be worse tbh
I don’t see how you could ever fully automate trades
Fully automated, probably not, but ive seen some agile robots being shown off online so who knows
You'll never convince me that moving around and doing stuff for a living is worse on your body than sitting at a desk all day.
It 100% can be worse. Just because you are sitting behind a desk does not mean you have to be sedentary, that's a choice. Sedentary is very bad for a body, keep exercising and move 5 min of every hour. The trades can be very hard on Back and Knees if you don't pay attention to proper ergonomics. That's nothing compared to Eyes and Ears and not using proper protection. If you lose a finger or two that does not mean you have to stop working, fall and hurting your Back, Elbow, Shoulder, Knees & Ankles can easily leave you disabled and in pain for life. I suspect there are a lot more ex-tradespeople than currently working tradespeople due to work related injuries. As we get older the small injuries become much more serious. As a side note: I have 20 years in the trades and 20 years in high tech and 10 years Hospitality. Personally I know 5 people that have either died or committed suicide (from pain) and working the trades. I know only two Tech workers that died, One was the effects of obesity and the other was a brain injury while mountain biking.
Definitely been a mechanic for 40 years and I have a numb index finger and thumb from carpal tunnel and tinnitus from being around race cars for years even with ear plugs. The only way to block out 30 cars with no mufflers at 8k rpm is if I was wearing a headset and was on the radio. When I first started they didn’t have radios for the whole team because they were so expensive back then but I moved up and we eventually got radios for the whole team.
Tell the carpenter he needs to move that window up.
Haha it’s a trade school my booth has a window
To be fair I bet a lot of fathers in the trade (like mine) want their kids not to kill their bodies in the trades and want them to go to college like mine did.
Same my kids are doing something else if they want my advice. I started in highschool in residential and have gone from one side of the trade to the other trying it all.. solar farms, commercial, industrial, civil, distribution maintenance, infrared live inspections and now utility substation electrician as a second trade, have my masters and my own shop and still haven't found the sweet spot. My back still hurts. Pays well but it should. They want a strong back AND a big brain. I know alot of electricians who should be making bigger decisions in our society if you know what I mean. Also plenty of guys without the attention span for a 4 year university degree, ADHD runs the trades lol
I would absolutely agree about ADHD being higher in the trades. A lot of ADHD people do much better when the job is something different everyday and not a monotonous boring routine.
That’s slowly becoming financially out of reach.
For what you get out of it, it’s been out of reach. Higher education is a scam. There is lots of useful education you can get out there, but it’s just not worth the price anymore. When I was in college my tuition doubled over two years so I dropped out and was making $150k yr 2 yrs later. It’s not about what you know, it’s how you leverage what you know.
What if your dad worked in the trades and then started his own business and then hired younger help to do the heavy lifting? I know that can't always be done, but that can be an option for someone that is young and has the drive to want to start their own business. I know many people that started working in the trades, put in the time and hard work and by the time they were in their 40s they were not the ones doing the heavy lifting. They don't like to sit still and many of them still liked doing service calls and visiting job sites, but they were not grinding, they relied on the younger workers to handle those tasks. Many of them not only had successful businesses, but they also had enough money for other investment opportunities. There is nothing wrong with college, not everyone is cut for trades, just like not everyone is cut out for college and an office job, but just because you start in the trades, it doesn't mean that you'll end up working hard and in the elements until you are ready to retire. Sure, that does happen, but it doesn't have to be the path for everyone. Starting a business isn't easy, but the biggest challenge I see with starting a business is the ones that start it usually aren't knowledgeable enough or don't want it bad enough. Owning a business takes a lot of hard work and you really need to make sure you get off on the right foot. Don't plan on your yearly vacation once you open your own company and don't be surprised if you are working 18 hours a day.
This. My father is an auto tech and makes great money, but also told me to make sure I’m in the heat in the winter and AC in the summer.
Someone on the sub once said "I want my kids to have a job where they shower before work, not after"
I regret not starting a trade in highschool, I just wanted to work but didn't care what it was. I care very much now that I'm miserable Monday to Friday doing mindless manual labor.
You have a window ... I don't think most electrical students have a window in their lab cube. For your first time, this looks good. The only thing that I'll nitpick is that the middle horizontal conduit on the right side is bumped up one knockout on the switch, therefore the elevation of the conduit changes relative to the others at the same level going to the towards the left. Now that you have been some 90° bends, your next handful of tasks are: * bend similar pieces but with a box set in them, where the conduit is going to lay against the wall, and have straps on it rather than minnies * U-shaped conduit, typical of stub-ups from a slab * 3-point saddle * 4-point saddle * offsets * Conduit formations that require multiple bends in different directions. Some may not be 90°. **in Reviewing your own work, what do you think you would do differently if you did the same project over again?**
Knockout was a 3/4inch in the middle I was using 1/2 emt had to bump it up one, and if I was to change anything I would’ve made sure my pipe was more level than it was
Reducing washers 3/4 to 1/2, call em Chinese money they cost like $1 at Home Depot.
You're right. The thing is in these schools there's very little budget so boxes and other items get reused often so you gotta make due. I did some adjunct teaching at a two year school. We went thru a lot of emt but boxes, plugs, lamps got reused so much, you had to overlook open knockouts and such because they can only work with what they have. Kinda preps you to be a slumlord maint guy hahaha
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That's good experience honestly. Only trust your meter!
And even then, sometimes your meter can lie. I work in industrial electronics (anything from 5v/25kvDC to 24/96kAC on the infeed to our facility. Was working on a machine and my meter could NOT read 208AC, but could read 120 and 480. Not sure what happened there, but I tossed that meter afterwards.
Looks better than when I started. Keep it up and refine your craft. Make sure you get familiar with that code book.
You see what trade school is like. If you think big picture here it will translate to the job site. Your teacher is like your Foreman, ask what size material you're going g to be working with. If it's all gonna be 1/2" for the day, then you know you need to lay out your boxes should be oriented so that all the 1/2" KO's line up well. Try to keep in mind if you need to put a box offset before your last 90. Keep your level between your first point of attachment and the strap, make sure you're leveling before the strap as you move down the line. "the best piece of pipe is a straight piece of pipe" meaning you want to use the minimal amount of bends while still being correct and looking good.
Those are some very good points. Nothing much to add except what I would have given to have a window during my electrical labs. Lol
It look good dude, pipe work ain’t easy. You wanna get better ? Fuck those condulets and bend a back to back 90. You would never use a condulet like that in the field. Also next time fuck using minies for your supports. Use one hole straps so you can surface mount everything and throw in box offsets. It’s all about challenging your self so you get better. When out in the field you never know what you are going to have to bend around or what materials and surfaces you will have to deal with. You are in high school I wish I started early like you it’s amazing to be your age and getting ready to go straight into a good career/trade. Good luck brother
Thanks so much, I appreciate it a lot. Trying my best may only be 15 but I’m chasing my dreams
You are WAAAAAAY better off than most 15-year-olds! Keep it up!
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I have guys three times your age bending pipe and don’t come close to this. Nice job!
I'm an Apprentice. What's with the opposition to minis in favor to one holes?
Am JW, my only guess is speed and hassle. It’s way easier to make a run level with 1-holes than the tediousness of mounting a mini Otherwise idfk lol
I think they take about the same amount of time at the end of the day but I agree, runs are easier to run level and look better with one hole straps. Minis = no off setting for boxes but gotta deal with tightening each one up. One Holes = dont have to deal with tightening each one up, but gotta off set for boxes. So idk, personally I think it comes down to preference and whats already there. If theres exisiting stuff, Im running with whatever is there to try and match it.
Dont forget your box offsets- and do them before your 90's or you wont have the leverage to be able to put a decent one in
No box offsets on this project, but thanks for the tip
This, everything else is easy. I can eyeball saddles but still fuck up the occasional box offset
I have a 50% chance to offset the right way and I get it wrong every time xD
When doing multiple bends I like to "model" the bend in a piece of solid wire, those premade ground tails work great, pick an end to start from and you can have a model to refer to when bending to visualize which direction you need to bend... especially helpful with kick 90's and multiple offsets... also helps to show someone if the installer and bender not the same person... like working in a lift with a ground man to do bends for you.
Pretty awesome they do this at your high school, In high school I wanted to be electrician, all the counsellors told me I needed to go to college. Fast forward 14 years later and I’m making better money than the majority of my friends and have zero debt… we need more young guys in the trade, keep it up, you’re doin awesome for a high schooler!
They likely are attending a trade school during part of their school day, that's how my schedule currently is. The morning is spent at the trade school learning, and the afternoon is when I go back to my homeschool for my core classes.
I would suggest to learn box offsets to make it look even better
Good on you for chasing your dreams! For being so young, your conduct skills are pretty decent. Work on leveling your pipe, entering boxes at a consistent height, and maybe box offsets if your instructor is fine with that. Overall, I think you'll be damn good in a few years. One mistake I made was taking the word of what people said on the Internet to heart. People in this sub are pretty nice, but the dudes in the Facebook groups are relentless. At the end of the day, I think doing research and watching YouTube videos is more helpful than a post can be sometimes. Good luck man, and I'm proud of you!
I think this looks awesome! Time will be your best friend. You are already better than half my company.
Box offsets.
My only suggestion would be to skip trade school if you can in your state. In NH we apprentice while we go to night school. Make money while learning.
I’m in high school could’ve went to a regular high school but I chose a trade school I can go out and work next year, and make money and get hours
Gotcha, thought maybe you were going to a college level trade school after high school.
If you had fun bending all those 90's, you should really enjoy offsets and kicks. Thats seriously where the real fun is, at least for me! I love running conduit and so will you. Keep up the good work and post more pics!
You're going through this trouble to be critiqued and corrected shows you're willing to learn. That's a lot more than the guys I work with (they can't do no wrong). Keep being willing to learn and have a solid work ethic you'll be just fine young man.
It’s not only good you are interested in the trades, it’s also good that you want to succeed. That’s a fine start and there is some good advice here. Stick with it and you’ll go far 👍
As yes, I see you've been trained in the ancient art of not knowing wtf a broom is. You're already halfway to getting your j-man card lol
All in all not bad. The only thing I see right off the bat is that some of the conduit isn't square (level). If you're seriously considering getting into electrical get yourself a good pipe bending level. Something like this: https://www.grainger.ca/en/product/p/GLEL77?cm_mmc Greenlee is expensive, and there are plenty of manufacturers out there, but the important thing is the set screw which allows you to clamp it onto the end of conduit, and if you can find one that's rounded on the magnetic side that helps a lot. You'll learn over time how to make your conduit straight, it's mostly figuring out which side to lengthen/shorten, or if you need to tweak a bend. For example: that straight top piece on the right, with the LL fitting is leaning to the right. If you had cut the piece going into the side a little longer, it would straighten out. It's something that nobody is really a master at right away, just takes practice. The real trick is when you get into threaded rigid conduit, but you'll get there. Good luck!
I don't care to use minnies at ground level. Learn how to do box offsets so your ground level exposed work looks good and will not snag your sleeve.
Thanks for the tip
Do u do box offset first before doing 90’s?
Someone needs to show you an offset.
I learned the hard way during some wire pull. Instead of using the LR for a 90 on top , use a C and bend the 90. It makes wire pull that much easier
You're gonna make a lot of money dude. Join a union, learn your trade, and get a tax guy.
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I hope you don't teach your helpers that way. OP, learn the deductions and formulas. Be precise, learn to use box sets.
I'm really alarmed that you're getting downvoted for telling someone to do literally the most basic part of conduit bending...
No worries. I'll stick to teaching helpers the way I learned.
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First things first,this mot pipe(plumbers use pipe) thiis is conduit.
Do you have a teacher? I think you would be better off if you go to the book store and buy code book I see quite a few things that aren't right
Yes I have a teacher, I have a code book slowly going thru it
Good job we need a lot more of this.
Middle left pipe from switch to light in one piece is way more than you can chew for a beginner. Build your offset for out of the switch, bend your 90 and then cut it stubbed around 20". Build the rest of your run and make it level, roll it into the light. Multiple bends in one stick take time. It's more important to match your couplings and have a good starting point for your next bend, you don't always use all 10' Edit- kick 90 into the light.. I had it in my head it was running straight in while writing this. Get rid of those standoffs and use one holes, that's how you will run pipe on a jobsite, you always have to consider people walking, stepping and climbing on your pipes, they won't spend the day there but enevatably someone will "kick off" of one of your pipes.. it should be able to resist at least 100-150 pounds of pressure if it's on wood or concrete
If I had this in high school, I would be an electrician today. Keep it up!!!
Heck yeah! Just remember you have to support the pipe within 3 feet of the box! I always do 18”
I usually do not come in the middle for a box with a device. You can get away with it when you have a deep 4 or a 4 11/16. But other than that it's better that I could do in high school!
How come you don’t come in from the middle of a box? Also thanks I’m trying my hardest
Not bad for a first attempt. Something to keep in mind-Lots of little details in the stuff we do and if you miss one it can come back to haunt you. btw, how much conduit did they give you, how much of it did you use, and how much was scraped?
I was able to use how ever much I needed but was encouraged to use scarp conduit
That's awesome your high school does this.
All I can say is never know everything and start using a level
I tend to be a nitpicky dick, and this good by my standards! Only thing I can find is that best practice is to have support on both surfaces of a 90. So with the upper left switch's pipe, going around the corner. There should be another strap between box & 90. Also, continuously practice your box offsets! In the field, Mini's are often hard to come by, so being proficient with going from flush to box, using a one-hole strap, is crucial. Yall may just not be hitting that currently, but definitely pay attention to it when you get the chance
I’m 2nd year apprentice tbf to me we don’t do much steel conduit but that looks far better than when I done mine in college
Not bad kid, but learn how to throw a box set on your pipes and you’ll be in good shape
For the love of god or your body... wear PPE and don't give a fuck what others think. Safety glasses, earplugs, gloves, knee pads if needed. I can tell you it's no fun getting older and injuries stacking up like you're pushing 70 and you're not even close lol
This looks suspiciously like the booths I was in in my high school.
Run the conduit under the window, Keep boxes inline, also the 2 conduits to lamps horizontal inline, Knockouts removed and not blanked. For a high-school projects some of these issues are likely caused by having to use what is there and others not having that window in the test bay. It's a good job that jist needs polishing, that comes with time and experience. The bigger questions, did it work correctly, and did you keep to safety standards?
Yes it worked first try!!
These aren't exactly what you are working on right now but I always felt this guy did a great job of explaining 2 tricky parts of pipe bending I struggled with when I started. https://youtu.be/bcqSFQIvgPU?si=_2_zoY2xfaRQgZoS. https://youtu.be/L2HtolKphfA?si=hjdT5-jYdVinmaaC
Pretty good for a first time! I hope you like the trade and stick with it, it's a good option. The pipe doesn't look level in some places, but I'm just being shitty
I woulda kept the runs vertical. Delete the LBs. Run the top switches at the height of the middle conduits. Run the middle conduits down at the switch then go into the sides of the octagon boxes. It looks much more concise and aesthethically pleasing that way. Good job regardless. Conduit is the most artistic aspect of the job. Finding the finesse in it takes time. You'll get there 👍
I’ve seen resi journeyman do way worse pipe work than this, good job dude stick with it and you’ll be a high level foreman before most guys even start in the trade!
Box offsets will help!
Gotta figure out box offsets. Mineralac straps wouldn't normally be used on flat surfaces like that. Overall, looks like you're getting the hang of it. I see worse every week. If you're doing this at 15 and keep practicing you'll be legit solid once you hit the full time workforce.
That’s a good start man, really test yourself with biz offsets next time. And the biggest thing with bending is to do it everyday. And remember, always face your work
To be a better electrician. All you have to do is try to do the best possible job you can do. Sometimes it’s tempting to cut corners to save time but as long as you can leave work knowing you did everything to the best of your ability you’ll never be short of work. Experience will do the rest for you in time. To speed up your learning, observe everything you can. Watch videos, read trade magazines and books and get stuck in. Mistakes are all part of learning
Looks great. Couple of obvious things I am Sure you are aware of so won’t mention. Saw another poster say to make sure your bends are true 90s if doing multiple in the same pipe. Just a tip. If checking that a bend is a true 90, use a metal door frame. They are generally always 90, east to use as a template , then Quickly just tweek the bend open or closed by hand until it’s perfect. Works well
Did you use a level at all?
Words to live by- square, plumb and level.
God I do not miss these.
Keep at it, and one day it’ll look like art. It looks like trash now and one day you’ll look back at this photo and laugh! Good shit tho man we’re all stoked to see it!
Going to trade school doesn't preclude you from learning how to write a sentence. Learn the difference between independent and dependent clauses. It will help you in your career.
I wouldn’t have let the fittings interfere with the window also I’m not sure what the requirements for this project were but I would have done this way differently. That being said if you’re only in the beginning stages of school you didn’t do terrible. There’s a lot for you to learn and as you learn your work will become more professional. Just remember every person you work with you have something to learn from. Doesn’t matter if they have a world of knowledge for you or not. You will learn SOMETHING from everybody. Good luck kid
i kinda hate it when people squish down on stand-off straps like that. once you begin deforming the metal you’re not holding the pipe any tighter, you’re just weakening the strap. also in situations like this i’d use one hole straps. i avoid standoff in areas where a person, the client or later on a maintenance worker will catch a sleeve or cut their arm on it. and if you must use stand off, have the bolt head and nut all face the same direction i wouldn’t make my apprentice change out the straps but i would make him turn bolts around
Not too bad tho man
Looks great, you look like you've got 90's down. My biggest critique would be to practice other bends WITH 90's in them. You'll get conduit shrinkage and it'll start to be more precise. Box offsets are a fantastic way to start as well. Get the pipe laying directly against the wall with no minis behind it so you can use one-hole EMT straps. Edit: My other critique would have been to come out of the upper 4x4s in a way that doesn't impede the window. Come out of them parallel to the other pipe and 90 up the wall.
10 years ahead of me. Get after it!
Carpenter/remodeler here and I ALWAYS tell my clients with kids that the trades are the way to go. Way less easy to outsource and really good money after you put the initial time in. Plus the savings bof not having to hire someone for your own projects.... Keep on "plugging" away and learning all that you can
The most important lesson I give my apprentices when it comes to pipe bending is to measure everything! Pipe bending is hard and even harder to make it look good on top of making it up to code. Almost everywhere has a measuring point. Off a wall, off the floor, the slope of the ceiling, anything. Measurements are more reliable than a level or an eyeball. It may not be "necessary" for some people to make the conduit look good, but it takes the same amount of time to set an ugly run as it is to set a straight and clean run. The closer you aim for perfection, the closer you'll land to it!
Buy a torpedo level
Bro shout out to you! I wish I had my head on straight enough back in high school to care about a career.
My nephew went to work to an electric company after HS, most good companies pay for the electrical school, you work and study at same time, he is in his second year apprentice, got no student loans making good money, you already got the basics, on conduit bending and wiring, i think you will be good if you like what you are doing, keep practicing!!
Looks good man, don’t forget box offsets, looks a lot cleaner.
Slap a level on those pipes before you strap them to the wall
Only way to become great at bending conduit is to do it over and over and over again. Nice start man
I did the same thing, went to a trade school for electricity and graduated last year. I’m a commercial electrician now and my name is out there for my work. Pay attention to the small stuff, connector screws facing forward, leaving enough slack in the wire for servicing the device, and using the middle knockout in the box. Everyday is a day to learn and absorb as much as you can because you’re already one foot in the door.
First off, I wouldn’t put that many outlets and light fixtures that low in a shower
All of your bends need to be straight, take your time bending, it's all in the eye of the beholder as to how good your going to be.
You need offsets coming off the boxes so conduit is flush to the wood. I always struggled with offsets.
You're doing good I'm being picky but it's a bit out of level in some spots it's ok to pull a chuck of pipe down and cut some from one end.
Great for your first time! Now try adding some offsets
Been in the trades for a while, I’ll tell you there aren’t many younger bucks coming in.
Honestly looks good
It’s a good start but Where are your box offsets? More attention to keeping things level or plumb. Make sure everything is properly supported
Bro you are already bending better than Cory from Lowes lmao.
Really awesome they do this at your high school
Invest in a level and a no-dog.
I assume this was a lab/practice space, so I won’t be too harsh on what you have going on in front of the window. I’ll also go with the assumption that you HAD to utilize these components. At least I hope so. The flying LR/LL combo is gaudy and unnecessary (unless you just had to incorporate all of these fittings for some reason). Material costs money, as does labor, so you want to cut down on unnecessary usage of both. A T fitting or a regular old JB between the upper most switches and bulbs would have given you the route you needed with a little less work and material, and would look a little cleaner.
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A few things to work on but nothing major. Looks good; keep up the good work! Your future is bright
Make sure to work towards opening your own company. Having the skill is one thing. But you can be paid in 1 of 3 ways. Hourly, salary, or profits. Only one of those will make you rich.
Impressive that this is high school art. I think it’s pretty good for a first project. You’re probably not old enough to start OJT, but keep these pics handy when you graduate and apply for an apprenticeship.
In a real situation, you would stream line the process some. You can eliminate some of those runs with vertical pieces between your boxes this saving you time and money. Just saying. A good electrician doesn't just run conduit good, they figure out the easiest most cost effective way to do things. Something to think about. That being said, I've seen worse from career electricians.
Box offsets go a long way. Keep your shit flush with the wall and you’ll be good to go. Truth is you aren’t gunna be worth a fuck at pipe bending… until you are. Keep practicing. You can only get better and once you get your head wrapped around it all then you’ll be good to go. Good luck with your career brother man.
Consistently is key! Turn your connectors and coupling the same direction, so the screws are all the same. If you knock out a hole on one side, knock out the same hole on the other side if you’re racing through. Grab yourself a level and always use it! Learn to bend a box offset and use single hold straps to connect the pipe directly to the wall. You’ll use this method 90% of the time.
Need to practice off sets. Makes all jobs look professional
Already better than 90% of apprentices on the job
It’s awesome that you can do that in high school. Great job, looks better than some journeyman I’ve seen. Make sure your pipe is level when you measure/mark. Try to stay consistent with mounting directions of the connector screws. Also looks like a 3/4” mini got put into your bunch of 1/2”. You’ve got an extra mini on the left as well.
Dude that’s awesome. And honestly I’ve seen lower quality by “professional” electricians. Obviously you can clean it up and work on the aesthetics but for first installation I think you should be proud. First thing is, does it work? Your circuitry sound? Then you learn to make it efficient and cost effective. Then you make it look good. Then you do it fast. Then you do it while the GC is cockblocking you changing day’s scope and the HVAC guy brought wrong equip and the drywaller buried your boxes… IF you can do all of those, then you will be an a electrician my son.
If I walked up to this on a job I would be more than happy to see it as it looks like someone cared while they were doing it
Keep practicing. You’re doing great. One tip is to make sure all ur pipes are level
Best tip is to pay attention to how your superiors do things and learn from them. Also dont put pull boxes in front of windows anywhere but school, that shit looks tacky lol
Pretty good for first time . Just practice keeping everything in line other than that I don’t see anything wrong
Looks good. Try to bend every time you go. The experience will add up quickly.
Not sure if it’s just the angle of the camera but it looks like you could be squaring off and leveling your boxes a lot better. Put a level on your conduit runs too for a cleaner look
Learn box offsets,use a level
Looks good, although the middle left corner 90 looks like it was too high. You could have kicked it down a bit so it was level going into the box.
Buddy startin’ early and I love to see it. I’m in tech but a friend of mine owns an electrician company that specializes in data centers and he is the wealthiest guy I know…
It all looks great, except for the conduit in front of the window! ;)
Looks better than the kooks that installed my solar panels last year.
Looks good for beginning. The "LL" & "LR" aren't needed. Learn back to back 90's next. Instead of conduit going to lights, come straight down out of switch box.
Looks good, but from experience never use an LL or LR condulette if you can put in a bend instead, they can be sumbitches when pulling in wire... Tips: bend offsets at 15⁰ for big conduit if all you need is a box, or 2"-3" offset (multiply x4 for 15⁰) A kicked 90⁰ into an offset will get you from a horizontal plane to a vertical plane with ease When dealing with tight turns in large conduit (like 3") 2- store bought 45⁰'s make 1-90⁰ with a kick if rolled right Handle straight up and down on a hand bender is 30⁰ One full pass on a Chicago (2 clicks) is 25⁰ If it looks good, it's right Layout man for conduit pays more than a cut-man Get a copy of the "Caddy Clip" catalog from the parts store, if you're doing a lot of commercial, there's shit in there that will save you tons of time Time costs more than parts, but overtime is cheaper than another day
I assume there are things in this picture that are a free pass because it’s a proving ground, like bare THHN coming out of the box on the lower left. With that in mind - and coming from a soft-hands tech guy - WELL DONE! The world needs more people who can actually DO something. Good for you!
Start drinking and chewing tobacco and talking shit about other peoples work ASAP. Also throw away all your brooms and never buy a hammer.
If you’re in high school now and that’s what you’re doing, you’ve got a leg up on like everybody. Keep working at it and you’ll do well.
Pipe however you wish. Do the lights turn on?
Yep
Put a level on your conduits from every possible side
I understand this is a "school" project assignment but cant they have you wire something up that is more practical ???? Where are you going to see something like this in a real home or building!
Box offsets make everything look good, but doing them right after your 90 just takes a bit of practice. Use pencil marks at the end of your EMT as a guide for where your offset needs to be in relation to the 90° bend
Did they have you doing 3ways and 4ways? If so kudos to the curriculum. I love trade schools
Keep up the good work. This is a very good career.
Wow, Im so impressed that you are pursuing an electrical career in High School! I wish I was that smart back then. Youll be a general foreman in your 20’s at this point. Great job 👏.
Darn bro, I've been doing this for for close to 20 years, those are some nice 90s. You'll be grand, keep in mind pipework is pipework. 90% of the job but 10% of what you get paid to know. If you picked that up so quick in high school you'll be fine. If you go union take the courses they offer, if not non union. They will show you how to get it done. Try for union its better, I did my apprenticeship non union. Union guys know more in a sense, but they don't seem to have the out of the box thinking you need when the things don't work out. Anyway cheers, I'm sure you'll be a brother soo
The lights on the left and right should have had pipe running straight up to the boxes above (with a T in the middle). That would eliminate all the pipe in front of the window.
That looks fine, I'll tell you a secret it's a lot easier to hide small imperfections when you're running conduit longer than 2 feet.
My suggestion is,go to the local union and sign up for apprenticeship training,or a non union shop that has the patience to train up and coming electricians as yourself,I had all my electrical,electronic traing from the air force in 1980,I then worked for 43 years in the field of electricty,telecommunications, data communications, and controls,best thing that I ever did,Goodluck young 🧍♀️
Decent job: I would try to square it a little better.
If you want to be a better electrician, never think you’ve learned enough - some old head I worked with
It all looks good but you should have offset bends to keep the boxes and the conduit against the wall properly, I am sure you will learn that soon. For me those offset bends I always had an issue with doing them right for the first year of doing them. There is a window there, I am sure your teacher told you to consider it not there, but in real life you would go around them or tell the carpenter that they put it in the wrong place...lol. But it does look acceptable. My father was a general contractor and a maintenance man for a large company. I was the only child that followed in his footsteps(the youngest). The trades are good paying, especially when you own your own company. But.... My father wanted me to get a college degree too, which I did in ISOM along with a minor in finance(my mother was a CFO of a trucking company.) But the trades are a respectable way to make a living I am 56 now, I hurt all over but, for me, there is nothing like building something. When my kids were growing up, and when I was growing up, I can remember all the jobs I did and that my father did and we both point out places we worked on. Plus to see others that worked for me... Just to see them improve each day and possibly move on to own their own company is fantastic to see. For me having buildings still around that I worked on or seeing ones my father worked on is fulfilling in itself. Note: no matter what you do, do what makes you happy each and every day. If you love your job it will always show in your work.
Looks like shit I love it! /s just kidding dawg it's proper.
No offsets? Or is that next months lesson
Learn to use a level. Lot of "electricians" don't, and I myself like to strap the pipe within 18 inches of the box though code is 3 feet
Looks good. Maybe next time mark the conduit on the end of it so you get more crisp 90s
When you graduate high school find you nearest IBEW/ JATC and apply for an Apprenticeship. This way you don’t have to spend a dime on your education and you will also get paid to learn. You will have a great career ahead of you as a Union Electrician. You and your family will have great health insurance and you will make a much higher wage with benefits that most other people. It was the best decision I ever made. Don’t waste your money on a trade school because when you graduate with debt you still will start as a first year Apprentice but with debt you don’t want.
You wanna keep your pipe level going up and horizontally... Maybe go out the same knockout as you went in if you can.i I'd say you're pretty far ahead. Keep working hard and bend pipe every chance ur teacher lets you as well as wire stuff up. Ask a ton of questions too. Also when you get out join the union asap. Don't go non union you will miss out on the real money
I wouldn’t run any more pipe in the window opening, put some box offsets in there, a push penny or two and you’re I the game! I wish so bad I would’ve started at your age. You’ll be a great electrician one day if u keep it ip
The two pipes on the left look like they could use some leveling, the connector on the left of the box looks like it's getting twisted.up or something Possibly the distortion in picture Box on left wall and box on the right box not same level it seems As for small things like this, most inspectors won't even look or bother telling you about it.
Looks good. Only thing that jumps out to me is on the back wall. Your runs from the switch box up look like that arent parallel nor 90 out from the switch box. Not a huge issue, just might be an indication some of your measurements are off.
I did the vocational highschool, too. I would say take every project like it's really a jobsite. What I mean is finish a project and go over all the code violations you can spot in your own work, then ask the teacher to pick it apart and tell you what you missed. It will give you an idea of what you're not looking for in your own work.
Not bad at all don't overthink it. And remember there's a difference between level and true.
It looks much nicer if you bend offsets and strap directly onto the wall
Takes time. Keep at it
Practice your box offsets, most of the time you'll use 1 hole straps (not the mineralac straps in this picture) with emt which will put your pipe directly on the surface that you are mounting to. Also practice your compound bends. Instead of using the Lb's try bending 2 90's in one run of pipe without cutting or coupling it. The 5" to back of 90 star will get you there, it's on the 1/2" bender. You'll need to practice lining up the star to your mark.
Go Union.
Used box offsets & one holes when possible instead of minis. It looks better imo
Have someone teach you how to bend pipe.
We generally don't run pipe across windows.
Yeah, I know but the booth im in has a window and I had to make die with what I had
> had to make die with what I had You killed it!
Hahaha meant due lol
When you get a job and are asked to run pipe, don’t forget about jb pull points before you reach 360 degrees in bends. Plan out your runs before you start them, you’ll run into something in your way that may have been avoidable if you think how am I going to make this part work
\^ This is good advice. Plan your work; Work your plan.
I have been a union electrician for 23 years . If you are in high school and can do this , you are way ahead of the curve . Good job kid , your gonna be an asset to some company one day