Post #686266 by MadDogMike on Wed, Jul 17, 2013 6:43 PM

Depending on your type of glaze it could cover all fingerprints, but that would also cover you small details too. As the clay start to dry and becomes like leather, you can smooth out any defects with tools or wet fingers. Once it is bone dry you can carefully sand it.

Pressing in the bottom with your fingers will not change the shape of the mug, only the shape of the bottom which no one sees unless they turn it over. I think you are more likely to damage your clayguy if you try to push it in with some sort of wooden plug.

As far as bubbles, there are 2 schools of thought there. Some people say that all bubbles will explode in the kiln. Others say that damp clay explodes. If you can't be sure that all the bubbles were eliminated, be sure your clay is COMPLETELY dry before you fire it. It helps to fire it slow if you can control that. You might even bake it in a regular oven for a few hours to help drive out any remaining moisture. Can a piece that explodes in the kiln damage other pieces near it? Yes, depends on the size of the explosion based on the size of the bubbles and/or amount of moisture in the clay

Hope that helps, glad you are having a good time learning :)