After cutting out all the hippopotamus ornaments, the sanding process begins. The first step is to sand the edges. There is usually a slight bump at the beginning of the cut that needs to be smoothed out, and sometimes some shaping is required. I perform this step before removing the labels so that I can maintain the shape while sanding the edges.
While sanding, I closely inspect the edges of the hippo ornaments under bright lights to identify any imperfections. In this batch, I discovered several ornaments I had neglected to cut the tails. I sent them back to the scroll saw for a quick cut. Sometimes, feeling the edges can help me locate imperfections that I can't see with my eyes.
The sander I am using is a Delta 1x42-inch belt sander that I've owned for about 40 years. It operates at a single speed, so I have to be very gentle when using fine-sanding belts; otherwise, it can overheat and burn the wood. Similar to using a scroll saw, mastering this sander requires some practice.
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