sanding a finished project

[csquish]

What is the best way to sand a finished project before I paint it? I have hand carved a couple of wizards with just a knife and power carved a Santa.

[mdallensr]

Before you sand, ask yourself if those carvings need to be sanded. IMHO, sanding is not always the logical next step in finishing a carving. Some benefit from sanding, and if you're trying to use the color and grain of the wood to enhance the finished piece, sanding can help. Others may be better left alone, to accentuate the "hand carved" look. You wouldn't want to sand a "flat plane" carved Santa, since the point of that carving style is the flat surfaces and the lines created when those surfaces meet. Mike

[arbarnhart]

I agree about generally not sanding, but if you feel you need to you might look at a bow sander:
Intarsia Hardware Items
You can make your own, of course. You can find rolls of sanding strip at competitive prices at HF also.

[CarverFromNoWhere]

When I do sand carvings, that isn't often I fold up little bits of sandpapers or carve sanding sticks from small dowel when needed. I would also say does it really need to be sanded.
Carl