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In the previous post, I showed how I DIY’ed a hoop bender for making low tunnel hoops out of electric metallic tubing (EMT). Today I’ll show how I use this bender to make low tunnel hoops for my raised beds. Prior to bending, I mark 3 spots on the 10 ft EMTs with a permanent marker. I begin by marking 2 spots, each measured from the two ends of the EMT. These two marks indicate where the bend in the hoop should begin relative to the ends. The location of these 2 marks is determined with basic geometry: subtract from the full length of the EMT one half of the circumference of the circle whose diameter is the raised bed width and then divide the result in half. For my 36 inch wide beds, this calculation indicated that the bend of the hoop should start about 32 inches from the ends of the 10 ft EMT: (120 inches - (0.5 x 36 inches x 3.14)) / 2 = 31.73 inches The final mark is made on the EMT at 5 ft. This marks the midpoint of the EMT. With the marks made, I insert the EMT into the bender until the first mark from the inserted end is at the position of the first bolt on the bender. Then I pull on the free end of the EMT. As the EMT is pulled, it will bend around the arc created by the bolts on the bender. I pull until the EMT is bent up to its midpoint. This completes the bending of the first half of the hoop. I then pull the EMT out of the bender, flip it around, and insert the opposite end of the EMT up to the first mark from that end. Once again, I pull the EMT until it touches the bolts on the bender. Once the EMT is bent up to the midpoint mark, the second half of the hoop is completed. The DIY hoop bender makes bending EMT quick and easy. It took me less than 10 minutes to bend the 8 extra hoops I needed and the best part is that they all turned out perfectly identical which really makes my inner OCD happy! 😝 #lowtunnel #frostprotection #caterpillartunnel #quickhoops #rowcover #cropcover #hoopbender #emthoops #gardenhacks #EncyGROWpedia #growyourownfood #homegrown #homestead #gardenporn #fallgarden #wintergarden #squarefootgardening

Per popular request, here’s a how-to on how I made my conduit bender! Due to its rigidity, electric metallic tubing (EMT) requires a bending tool. This tool is sold under the name “hoop bender” and can be found at @johnnys_seeds. I encountered several issues when I shopped for hoop benders. First, the benders are only manufactured for widths such as 3 ft or 4 ft so they won't work for beds of other widths, such as mine. Second, the benders are expensive. They were around $60 5 years ago. Thanks to inflation, they are now over $130 shipped! Third, the benders are not immediately ready for use. They need to be secured to something stationary but still have ample working space to accommodate the length of the EMT. Examples provided by the vendor include attaching the bender to a tow hitch rig or a picnic table, neither of which are easily available to most people. Necessity being the mother of invention, the #engineer in me was tickled to find a solution. After some brainstorming, I created a jig easily made with common tools and low cost materials. Using an OSB plank, a short piece of 2x4 wood, 20 bolts, and a few screws, I pieced together a DIY bender for $15. Swinging a string around a fixed point, I drew an arc on the plank representing a quarter circle with a diameter matching the width of my raised beds. I drilled a series of holes in the plank along this arc. I then placed bolts into the holes. I finished the construction by attaching a piece of 2x4 wood on the side as a brace for the EMT. To use the bender, I place it on level ground and drive the front tire of my car over the 2x4 wood mounted on the side. The weight of the car holds the bender firmly in place so there’’s no movement while it’s in use. Follow for part 2 of this how-to tomorrow! #lowtunnel #frostprotection #caterpillartunnel #quickhoops #rowcover #cropcover #hoopbender #emthoops #gardenhacks #instagarden #instagardeners #farmlife #farmhack #atlantagardener #EncyGROWpedia #growyourownfood #homegrown #urbanfarming #urbanhomestead #homestead #gardenporn #wintergarden #squarefootgardening