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FLEX 6mm Orbital Drive Unit - Where to find it?
Long story short, when FLEX introduced the FLEX PXE-80, I did 2 things.
1: Submitted to FLEX Corporate to nickname this tool the PiXiE - which is simply saying the letters for the part number as a word. I looked up the definition for Pixie and it reads,
A small fairy like creature
FLEX in their wisdom, decided to NOT nickname this tool the Pixie, but this is what I call it. And when I type it out, (which I do a LOT), I type it with the part number letters CAPITALIZED and the additional letters in lower case. Like this,
PiXiE
You can all say the name of the tool as a part number and spell the name however you like.
2: Sent a very kind email to FLEX Corporate asking them to custom make me an orbital drive unit in-between the 3mm and the 12mm that comes with the PiXiE from the factory.
FLEX introduced the PiXiE as a paint correction tool. When I first saw it, my first thoughts were,
"This is going to make a GREAT 3" orbital SANDER"
After Griot's Garage discontinued their 3" Mini Polisher, (5mm orbit stroke), there was a vacuum in the marketplace for a good small or micro-sander. The FLEX PiXiE filled this void except, it came from the factory with 3 drive units,
1: Rotary Drive Unit
2: 3mm Random Orbit Drive Unit
3: 12mm Random Orbit Drive Unit
I explained with my comments and pictures, that
3mm Too Small
The 3mm orbital drive unit is too small to maintain sanding disc rotation for a 3" backing plate and sanding disc.
The 3mm does work for what it was intended to do and that's use a 1" backing plate with 1" sanding discs for dirt nib removal. The thing about this is I rarely do this type of sanding while I do a LOT of sanding with all the common 3" sanding discs on the market.
12mm Too Large
The 12mm was too LARGE to use this tool as a sander because the long orbit stroke prevents you from sanding next to raised body lines or edges without the RISK of actually sanding ON the raised body line or edge.
In my email, I kindly and politely asked if FLEX could make me any of these, the BIG PICTURE being something in-between 3mm and 12mm
5mm
6mm
7mm
8mm
With my preference to be the 6mm. To my excitement, a few months later, FLEX sent me a prototype of a 6mm random orbit drive unit. I immediately tested and approved it for my style of machine wet and machine dry sanding.
As the saying goes, the rest is history.
Currently there are three places I know of where you can purchase the new 6mm random orbit drive unit.
On McKees37.com
Flex PXE 80 - 6mm Throw Adapter - FLEX Part Number - FLEX-531.009
On AutoForge.net
Flex PXE 80 - 6mm Throw Adapter - FLEX Part Number - FLEX-531.009
On Detail-Division.com
FLEX PXE80 Random Orbital Drive 6mm - FLEX Part Number 531.009
Mike
Long story short, when FLEX introduced the FLEX PXE-80, I did 2 things.
1: Submitted to FLEX Corporate to nickname this tool the PiXiE - which is simply saying the letters for the part number as a word. I looked up the definition for Pixie and it reads,
A small fairy like creature
FLEX in their wisdom, decided to NOT nickname this tool the Pixie, but this is what I call it. And when I type it out, (which I do a LOT), I type it with the part number letters CAPITALIZED and the additional letters in lower case. Like this,
PiXiE
You can all say the name of the tool as a part number and spell the name however you like.
2: Sent a very kind email to FLEX Corporate asking them to custom make me an orbital drive unit in-between the 3mm and the 12mm that comes with the PiXiE from the factory.
FLEX introduced the PiXiE as a paint correction tool. When I first saw it, my first thoughts were,
"This is going to make a GREAT 3" orbital SANDER"
After Griot's Garage discontinued their 3" Mini Polisher, (5mm orbit stroke), there was a vacuum in the marketplace for a good small or micro-sander. The FLEX PiXiE filled this void except, it came from the factory with 3 drive units,
1: Rotary Drive Unit
2: 3mm Random Orbit Drive Unit
3: 12mm Random Orbit Drive Unit
I explained with my comments and pictures, that
3mm Too Small
The 3mm orbital drive unit is too small to maintain sanding disc rotation for a 3" backing plate and sanding disc.
The 3mm does work for what it was intended to do and that's use a 1" backing plate with 1" sanding discs for dirt nib removal. The thing about this is I rarely do this type of sanding while I do a LOT of sanding with all the common 3" sanding discs on the market.
12mm Too Large
The 12mm was too LARGE to use this tool as a sander because the long orbit stroke prevents you from sanding next to raised body lines or edges without the RISK of actually sanding ON the raised body line or edge.
In my email, I kindly and politely asked if FLEX could make me any of these, the BIG PICTURE being something in-between 3mm and 12mm
5mm
6mm
7mm
8mm
With my preference to be the 6mm. To my excitement, a few months later, FLEX sent me a prototype of a 6mm random orbit drive unit. I immediately tested and approved it for my style of machine wet and machine dry sanding.
As the saying goes, the rest is history.
Currently there are three places I know of where you can purchase the new 6mm random orbit drive unit.
On McKees37.com
Flex PXE 80 - 6mm Throw Adapter - FLEX Part Number - FLEX-531.009
On AutoForge.net
Flex PXE 80 - 6mm Throw Adapter - FLEX Part Number - FLEX-531.009
On Detail-Division.com
FLEX PXE80 Random Orbital Drive 6mm - FLEX Part Number 531.009
Mike
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