3M Stikit™ Products
What Are 3M Stikit™ Products?
Whether you're refreshing the hull of a boat or prepping the exterior of an RV for a fresh coat of paint, sanding is one of the most labor-intensive steps in the process — and the quality of your abrasives makes all the difference. Stikit™ products are a family of pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) abrasive solutions designed to make surface preparation faster, cleaner, and more consistent than traditional sanding methods.
The defining feature of the Stikit™ system is its clever attachment mechanism. The core concept behind Stikit™ is the pressure-sensitive adhesive backing on the abrasive material, which allows abrasive sheets, discs, or rolls to be quickly and easily attached to compatible backup pads, sanding blocks, or power tool pads — and then cleanly removed when worn out. Attaching a disc to the pad is as simple as pressing on a sticker.
The Stikit™ System: Discs, Rolls, Sheets & Backing Pads
Stikit™ products come in several formats, each suited to different stages of surface preparation:
- Disc Rolls: Stikit™ disc rolls are multiple adhesive-backed abrasive discs rolled onto a core, making them easy to tear off one at a time for speed and efficiency — and there's no need for liners, which saves on material costs.
- Sheet Rolls: These are coated aluminum oxide abrasive rolls bonded with resin and a pressure-sensitive adhesive backing for quick adhesion to and easy removal from Stikit™ blocks, and feature continuous lengths of paper, easily cut to size to greatly reduce product waste.
- Backup / Disc Pads: Backup pads enable use of Stikit™ discs on disc, random orbital, and rotary sanders, with a tough vinyl face that provides excellent disc adhesion yet allows quick, easy disc removal.
- Sanding Blocks: Foam Stikit™ sanding blocks are used as an accessory item with Stikit™ abrasive products for sanding filler, primer, and other substrates, and help make sanding easier in difficult locations.
Why Stikit™ Products Excel in RV & Marine Applications
RV and marine maintenance demands abrasives that can handle a wide variety of substrates — gelcoat, fiberglass, paint, primer, and metal — often across large surface areas. Stikit™ disc rolls work with all common collision repair and surface substrates including clear coat, fiberglass, paint, primer, and plastic.
One of the biggest challenges when sanding large surfaces is disc loading — when sanding dust clogs the abrasive grains and reduces cutting performance. Stikit™ products address this directly. An anti-loading coating across the abrasive surface helps keep dust from gathering between the abrasive grains for faster cut and consistent performance throughout the life of the disc.
Different abrasive mineral options are available to match your specific job. Premium aluminum oxide mineral is blended with ceramic grain for a full range of marine and automotive sanding applications. For finer finishing work, silicon carbide abrasive cuts faster, creates a smoother finish than aluminum oxide or garnet abrasives, and is effective for finishing on hard surfaces.
Choosing the Right Grit for the Job
Stikit™ abrasives are available across a wide range of grits to tackle every phase of surface prep. Coarser grits (40–80) are best for aggressive paint or coating removal and shaping filler. Medium grits (120–220) excel at featheredging and blend preparation. Fine to ultra-fine grits (320 and above) are ideal for primer sanding and finish-ready surface refinement. Low-profile backup pads are most aggressive and recommended for flat sanding with coarse grades, while standard-profile pads with a 45-degree tapered edge allow the sanded area to be feather-edged and blended, making them ideal for medium grades.
When maintaining your RV or vessel, having the right abrasives on hand at every grit stage isn't just a convenience — it's the foundation of a professional-quality finish.