Dremel Micro 8050 Any Good?

[bassrecord]

Has anyone used the new Dremel Micro 8050 out of the box yet in lure making?

 

If you add the Dremel 4486 chuck replacing collets does it get too heavy-handed?

 

I'm comparing the cordless 8050 + chuck vs. corded Dremel Flex shaft + chuck for detailed drilling.

 

Thanks John

[BobP]

I've got a couple of Dremels, a 2 speed 200 and a variable speed model, both corded.  I prefer using collets versus a chuck because it makes them a little handier and it takes only a few seconds to change a collet.  The lithium ion batteries in the newer Dremel models makes a lot of sense but I'd still be concerned about battery life since I use them to do much of the shaping and smoothing on lure bodies and a battery would need to last for a couple of hours of continuous use when I'm working up a batch of crankbaits.  My Dremels have lasted for a decade so far with no problems except replacing the motor brushes and blowing the sawdust out of them.  I'm not trying to suggest the cordless Dremels are less effective but for me, why go to battery operated when a corded model remains cheaper and a real workhorse tool? 

[Musky Glenn]

I have the cordless 7700 two speed and nearly always run it on slow speed. Battery life is good but not for continues work. Only complaint is in working position the hand is on part of the battery and I have trouble with mashing one of the release buttons which disengages the battery. Musky Glenn

[Vodkaman]

I have used a cordless for eight years. The battery limitations are a problem, giving me only some 20 minutes of continuous work. The power output cannot compare with a corded Dremel either.

 

Were the cordless wins, is when I am at my test tank. I can trim the lip without having to unhook the lure and run back into the shop. For this reason I will always have a cordless in my armory, but a chorded Dremel will be added to my tool kit next time I set up shop.

 

I find collets a pain. Next time I will be looking for a three jaw chuck.

 

Dave

[CNC Molds N Stuff]

I happen to like the rotary handpieces on a flex shaft.  Even the cheapest Chinese imports seem to have less vibration and runout than a Dremel.  

 

Harbor Freight used to have a fair one that came complete with handpiece, flex shaft, and variable foot switch.  I have two of the motors, and several handpieces.  The HF hand pieces have a little 3 jaw drill chuck, and I do use them, but my Foredom handpiecs get more use.  They all use a pin and wrench and came with an 1/8" an a 1/4" collet which I personally feel are much easier to yse.  

 

Like a lot of things Harbor Freight no longer has the tool I mentioned, but its equivelant is still available from other importers.  Here is one on Ebay.  http://www.ebay.com/itm/Variable-Speed-Electric-Flexible-Rotary-42-Long-Flex-Shaft-Grinder-w-Foot-Pedal-/121410180947?pt=Power_Tools&hash=item1c449c5753  One nice thing about this style tool is if you don't like the hand piece you can get a better one and still use the motor and shaft.  

Edited August 19, 2014 by Bob La Londe

[mark poulson]

I also use a dremel with a flex shaft.  I do a lot of shaping with a dremel sanding disc, so the flex shaft is a lot handier than having to hold the actual motor.

[CNC Molds N Stuff]

I hear you Mark, but I have not really been happy with anything Dremel.  I have a couple of their flex shaft tools as well.  Maybe its because some of my first serious experiments were using them as hobby spindles and the slop that allows them to wear ok with cheap bearings (or bushings) for hand use is not so great for fixed continuous use.    

 

Here is one of those experiments.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfcaT1AB2gM  In that iterration I had built a clamping assembley to hold two Harbor Freight rotary hand pieces and cut mold plates two at a time.  That was my first hobby mill.  The experiment sort of worked, but I didn't know enough about machine design back then to make it all rigid enough.  Still I did successfully cut some center sprue side inject mold plates two at a time on that little machine.  I still use both of those Harbor Freight handpieces by the way.  Just not as mill spindles.  I did put enough hours on them to burn up several sets of brushes.  

 

I think we both agree that a flex shaft and a remote hung motor is a lot easier to handle though. 

[BobP]

I have a couple of Dremels and a Foredom rotary tool.  The Foredom's 1/4" dia chuck versus the Dremel's 1/8" makes the Foredom more versatile and it is much more powerful, not to mention its handy flex shaft and foot speed control.  I bought the Foredom thinking that it would be the end-all crankbait sanding tool.  Maybe it's a matter of an old dog and new tricks, but I still find myself picking up a Dremel to sand most of my crankbaits.  Even without a flex shaft, I still find the Dremel very handy for intermediate sanding on average size bass crankbaits.  Partly this is because I now use a carving knife to rough out the facets when I round over a crankbait.  It saves time and avoids a big cloud of sawdust flying around the garage.  Most often use for the Foredom?  Sharpening my lawn mower blades.

 

Personally, I love the 2 standard corded Dremel tools that I've been using for the last 15 years to make well over a thousand crankbaits, as well as on other projects.  I've had exactly one fail during that period.  Dremel had a replacement in the mail the same day I reported the failure.  Dremel is owned by Porter Cable, so I expected nothing less.  They are designed as light duty hand tools and that's all I have ever used them for.  In that role, they have been almost faultless.

[CNC Molds N Stuff]

Intersting thoughts on Porter Cable.  I am a licensed contractor (over 20 years) and I've own almost every common brand of power tool.  At the moment there isn't a single PC tool in any of my trucks.  What's frustrating to me about that is 20+ years ago they really had a great reputation.  They were chasing guys like Delta and Jet.  Sadly Delta decided to make the chase easier.  LOL.  I'ld have to say they have surpassed Delta, but that isn't saying much anymore.  

[mark poulson]

Bobs,

I do notice that the flex head in my dremel gets hot when I do heavy sanding/shaping.  Probably the bearing/bushing you mentioned.  I don't use it enough to warrant an upgrade at this point.

I do like the idea of a chuck instead of the collet, and the 1/4" shaft option.

[CNC Molds N Stuff]

Bobs,

I do notice that the flex head in my dremel gets hot when I do heavy sanding/shaping.  Probably the bearing/bushing you mentioned.  I don't use it enough to warrant an upgrade at this point.

I do like the idea of a chuck instead of the collet, and the 1/4" shaft option.

 

The 3 jaw drill chuck common on the cheap import rotary hand pieces only goes up to about 5/32.  Its also not as easy in my opinion to change tools with the little chuck key as you would think.  I much prefer the pin and wrench method of tightening a cutter into a collet.  I "know" how tight it is that way.  

 

To be fair none of those tools including the less expensive Foredoms is really intended for continuous duty.  

Edited August 19, 2014 by Bob La Londe

[mark poulson]

The 3 jaw drill chuck common on the cheap import rotary hand pieces only goes up to about 5/32.  Its also not as easy in my opinion to change tools with the little chuck key as you would think.  I much prefer the pin and wrench method of tightening a cutter into a collet.  I "know" how tight it is that way.  

 

To be fair none of those tools including the less expensive Foredoms is really intended for continuous duty.  

 

Should I be lubing my flex shaft (I know, I know) and, if so, what should I be using?

[Travis]

I don't mess with Dremel or any of the small rotary stuff for sanding as I find it much quicker to use a flap sanding wheel in my drill press or hand sand in my opinion for finish and for quick rough sanding I will use a Ridgid spindle sander.  

 

To be fair I use basswood and then some balsa so basically you can sand with tissue paper.       I imagine a lot depends on ones process of building.  I rough out on the bandsaw then take a few passes with the carving knife and then sandpaper when only doing  few baits.  A sharp carving knife gets me quickly to a stage little sanding is needed.  I usually buy the kids sticky backed craft foam and stick it to the various grit papers to make little sanding pads.  I do use my dremel for doing more carving (not on cranks typically) and use various diamond, ruby, etc.. stones for sanding detail and have always used with the flex shaft.  I never found them useful (or quick) for sanding purposes on a crankbait.  I have a battery operated Dremel I use at times but it was made for carving pumpkins and well that is what it does best.

 

Pretty much see the various stages.  Rough out, going to knife work to sanding.

 

 

Flap sander makes quick work and very easy to knock out a lot of baits.  I either use the box in the pic below with vacuum hose or box fan with furnace filter.

 

[CNC Molds N Stuff]

I would think a dry film lube like some of the spray silicones might be best for that.  

 

I tried but I just can't even type it with out snerking...  Just can't do it.  

 

I seem to recall reading that they should be lubricated, but I don't recall if I ever read a recommendation on what with.  

[RayburnGuy]

Here ya go Mark.

 

http://www.riogrande.com/Product/Foredom-Flex-Shaft-Lubrication-Kit/117230?Pos=19

 

If you don't like that one just do a search for "lubricating flex shafts" without the quotation marks.

 

Ben

[BobP]

Foredom supplies flex shaft lube with their units.  It's a tube of a light grease and if you smell it, you can tell it contains sulfur.  If I didn't have any on hand, I wouldn't hesitate to use Super Lube grease on a flex shaft.  It's fortified with PTFE.  The instructions on the Foredom lube say to remove the shaft from its sheath every 50 hrs of use and re-lube it.  Clean the shaft with a solvent after 200 hrs.  Your flex shaft may differ!

 

For those unfamiliar with Super Lube, it's a general purpose grease, translucent white in color, that is sold at NAPA stores in either little bitty tubes for a couple of bucks or in 8 oz cans for around $10.  One 8 oz can will last just about forever when used to lubricate reels.  It's hands down the best grease I've ever used for that purpose and it's used by quite a few reel repair facilities.

 

If you crack a Dremel open, there's a fairly large ball bearing in the head of the unit, around the shaft.  Easy to remove, clean/re-oil and replace.  I do that maybe once a year and blow all the sawdust out the case with an air gun.  Anything that runs 15-35,000 rpm will get hot eventually, including a Dremel.  One way to keep your hands warm in a cold winter garage    Of course, you slackers in California don't have such problems.

[bassrecord]

Thanks guys for the input. I need to refine my requirements more.

 

John

[mark poulson]

Ben and Bobs,

Thanks for the links and the instructions.  I have a Napa near me, so I'll check out the Super Lube.

Yeah, we don't get hard water here half the year like some, but it gets hand-hurting cold, believe me.

Heck, it's in the 70's this morning, and my hands already hurt!  Next time around, I'm going for young and healthy, with a big dose of rich!

[hazmail]

I have tried them all, they shake, they rattle they roll---so I bought a dental grinder about a year ago, best thing I have ever used, has forward and reverse, collet chuck (2mm) which you can change to fit 3mm Dremell style tools--Motor is in the hand piece--Hold it in your hand like a pen with flexi cord, no 'flexy shaft' shaking, speeding up and down--- quiet at 1000 or 35,000---also comes with variable speed foot pedal - I grind everything from steel to lures with this baby.

Just eBay 'Dental grinder' --cost $106 Au $'s or about $100 yankee $'s - which is about what I have spent on 3 other useless Dremell imposters I have.

UNFORTUNATLY----These are made in China, but then so are 'Chicko Rolls'.

Pete

Edited August 22, 2014 by hazmail