Originally founded in 1968, Squadron / Squadron Signal is back in business again after bankruptcy and are now based out of Ellijay, Georgia. Their web page was re-activated in January 2022 for plastic kits. Brandon Lowe re-acquired the Squadron Tools Product Line and are now marketing them once again.

In this case, Brandon Lowe has brought back the Tri-Grit Sanding stick, available again in a non-retail package of five sanding sticks. Featuring fine, extra-fine, and very-fine grits, this is a great tool for progressively polishing plastic whether you are preparing for metal finishes or polishing out clear canopies.

Each stick is 5.75” in length, 0.5” in width, and about 0.13” thick. One side is half dark grey [fine] and half white [extra-fine grit]. The other side is light grey for the full length [very-fine grit]. The sanding surfaces appear to be laminated on to a flexible (foam) core. The Tri-Grit sanding stick that features three colors (and three grits) is identified as the “Triple-Grit Polisher/Finisher”. Just look for the pad which is half black/ half white on the same side. This pad, as mentioned on the product package and on the website as “primarily for removing imperfections and restoration of clear plastic surfaces”. The black area has a coarser grit so it can remove scratches. The white area has finer grit so it will help to blend the surface upon which the black area was used. The gray area is even finer and is used to polish and buff out the surface being repaired.

Keep in mind that these are fine grit sanding sticks intended for polishing. When used for that purpose, they can last well. However, if you decide to use them as a replacement for rougher-grit sanding, they will be torn up quite quickly. If that is what you are looking for, Squadron does sell sanding sticks with much coarser grits, down to 150 grit [Black] and 280 grit [Orange].

My personal experience with Squadron’s Tri-Grit sanding stick goes back about twenty years. I have found that the Tri-Grit sanding sticks can have a decent lifespan. After using them, I have found that cleaning them under tap water seems to help extend their life. I have used them dry and wet. Of course, eventually the grit is worn down to where it is no longer effective. If you look at the photographs included below, I have pictured three Tri-Grit sticks. The bottom one is brand new while the two above have been used considerably. You can even see that the one in the middle is the oldest as it has a yellowish tint to the pad that is now white.

Highly recommended!

My thanks to Squadron and IPMS/USA for the chance to review this great product.