On 05/26/2016 4:52 PM, Cydrome Leader wrote:
wrote:
....

Just checked at Allied site; the spec's are the same as those from an
old (60s college-days) handbook--0.042" wall thickness for 1/2" EMT.

Thanks for looking this up.

I hadn't really paid any attention; just thought it likely the local
Mead Lumber/DoItBest chain would be import; turns out it's actually
Allied. I _still_ think despite the spec's it isn't as hard and
certainly the exterior finish isn't as clean/uniform as the old, old stuff.

The new stuff has the shiny spangled zinc coating, older stuff seem to
have a thicker, dull grey coating. Neither flake off, but the grey looking
stuff looks like it's galvanealed. I don't see any conduit with the inch
markings on it anymore either, but it may exist somewhere or be an options
you can pay for.

I'd say they've "cheapened-up" the manufacturing still keeping to at
least the minimum of the pertinent UL and ANSI Standards.

That's quite possible. I'm sort of surprised they still make this stuff
here and not in mexico. Maybe the plant costs too much to move, and I know
the union is involved. The Wheatland plants are pretty large.

Other than the color difference from the zinc, what I see are fairly
sizable imperfections in the surface, the tubing seams are obvious,
etc., etc., etc., ... that is, it just "looks cheap" in comparison plus
bending it it simply isn't as stiff.

Not that it really matters that much; it still functions...and when it's
in place it pretty much gets ignored, anyway.

I've not seen any marked, either, altho there are a few sticks of it in
the salvage pile. I suspect as you say it's a premium but probably
somebody still makes it.

I saw Allied has some variations with formed-in compression or screw
connectors in their product line now (and probably for quite some time
but I hadn't seen that before)

--