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Your cart is empty.415U Stikit Roll 3-1/4in 120 Grit
AgedWireHead
February 19, 2025
3M created a great hand sanding system 20 or more years ago. I forget when I first used it. It came in two sizes, 2 1/4 and 3 1/4 inches wide. The blocks were ergonomically designed knobs that are very comfortable in my hand. They promote even sanding. A fibrous pad helps keep the sandpaper in even contact. A roll of adhesive-backed sandpaper is inserted into a pocket in the sanding block and then the paper is fed back across the fibrous pad, where it sticks until it is worn out. Then a simple peel, pull, stick, and tear provides a new sanding surface. For much hand sanding, it was an ideal situation.After I purchased the 2 1/4 inch system, 3M discontinued it, but the 3 1/4 inch system was better...I purchased four blocks, one for each of the standard grits I use (120, 150, 180, 220) when preparing wood for staining and varnishing. I also purchased 10 rolls of each grit (a box). Many years later, I needed more paper, so I went to my local supplier and they told me I better stock up, as 3M had continued making this size roll of adhesive-backed paper. I took their advice, but recently found I needed more. My local supplier is no longer in business, so I looked on-line.Apparently, auto body shops still use this system, but I still think it is a discontinued product. If it isn't there aren't many places that supply it, so if you decide to start using it, buy plenty of supply.The product I received seemed pretty fresh (much fresher than the previous purchases I had made) so perhaps 3M is still making it--the only difference between this and similar other 3M products currently in production is the width.I was thinking that most craftsmen have abandoned hand sanding for power sanding. Power sanding works well, I use it, but hand sanding works where power sanding will not. And the sanding scratches always go in the direction of the grain. Hand sanded things seem to have a clearer grain after finishing.What are the negatives with this product?1. Don't use it to sand sharp corners. The pad makes the paper conform and slightly round the edge.2. On wood with high difference of harness between early and late wood, the softness of the pad will lead to an uneven surface.3. If you use it to sand a round on corners, which it does well, you will quickly wear out the sanding surface.4. In order for the roll to fit in the pocket, rolls of coarser-grit paper are shorter. Take this into consideration when ordering paper.5. You will almost always end up with a short piece at the end of a roll.6. All of the available paper is stearate filled, which is a problem for finishes that don't like stearate.All that said, I also love to use this paper on sanding blocks I make out of scrap wood. This solves the first 3 negatives and number 5, too.
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