Lots of beginner questions!

[SamIamSL]

Ok, so I am in the middle of making two mugs, one out of green wood and one that is dry, and realized I should find out some things before I finish them up.

Here goes...
1. Can you re-wet wood that has been dried to make it easier to carve?
2. If the mug isn't all one thickness, is it more likely to crack when holding beverages?
3. I have heard that you can boil a sanded mug in water and then sand it again till no more fuzz rises (I think it's the London Finish). Can this be used on a dry mug?
4. I have also heard of boiling it in salt or mineral oil (or whatever finish you use) to help seal the pores. Again, can this be done with dry wood? And with green wood, I assume you can do this when the wood is still green.
4.5 Can the mug be used straight after boiling it or will it have to cure for awhile (maybe a month?)

Sorry for all the questions! I just want to make sure I've got everything straight so all my work doesn't end up being for nothing, maybe I'm being a bit paranoid...
Any help or advice is much appreciated!!!

[pallin]

The answers to your questions depend a lot on the kind of wood used, the dimensions of the mugs, etc.

[TreeWizard]

If you want to make the wood easier to carve, especially end grain, mix up a 50/50 mix of alcohol and water, put it in a spray bottle and spray the wood. Let it set for a minute or two and go back to carving. It makes end grain almost easy to carve.

[mpounders]

I don't use boiling water, but when I do spoons, I sand with progressively finer grits and get the spoon wet after each to raise the grain. The extreme temperature of boiling water might damage your carving and plain water will raise the grain. I don't think soaking or boiling in water will get you anything but a longer wait for it to dry out for the next stage.