"Mike Spencer" wrote in message
...

On 9/5/2011 5:02 PM, Jim Wilkins wrote:

The 3-in-1 import sheet metal machine has grooves in the rolls ...

I haven't seen this "3-in-1 import sheet metal machine" to which you
refer. But the usual way to wire an edge shouldn't require holding
wire and workpiece awkwardly. You turn up the edge, roll the wire to
fit, put the wire in place and manually ding a few spots on the edge
to hold the wire in place. Then you can fully close the edge over the
wire manually with a hammer or with a jenny without needing three
hands. (Unless, of course, the workpiece is very large, in which case
you probably needed a helper all the way through anyhow.)
..
Mike Spencer Nova Scotia, Canada

This is the user's manual:
http://www.northerntool.com/download...als/334987.pdf

The rollers and half-round grooves are shown on Figure 13, page 15. You can
skew the rear bending roller to form a cone such as a bucket, megaphone or
cockpit cowl and smooth the bend around the wire in the grooves, but the
sheet metal has to rotate as it passes through the front clamp rolls. It's a
fight between enough clamping pressure to force the metal against the
bending roll and too much to steer the wire into the groove.

They are cheaper and ocupy much less space than a separate shear, finger
brake and roll. I ran a company machine shop that had both types, as it was
a refuge for the equipment from closed labs. A well made 3-in-1 such as I
had there isn't too much worse than the separate machines. The Central
Machinery model like I have at home, second-hand, takes much fussing to work
well enough. It's OK unless pushed near its capacity, then it won't hold
adjustments long. 0.050" Al is quite a bit easier to work with on them than
0.062". (1.5mm)

jsw