I just started turning but I like some of the pencils I made and would like to finish them. Some are mahogany and the others are lighter colored softer wood, not quite sure what they are. Is mahogany a good wood for plugs? I guess what I really want to know is what woods are good for pencils and needlefish, and what woods should I stay away from when building plugs? Also can anybody recommend a book about different properties of woods? Sorry to be asking so many questions but there is so much to learn. Thanks in advance guys.

Take a deep breath and use the search I am sure you will find most everything you need 10 fold.

that might be a bit heavy for pencils
I like to use very light wood for pencils like red cedar
ayc will work but it is more dense

you want the weight in the ass
load the rear end up with lead and that can give you what you want for a pencil

Mahogany is a good hardwood to use in that it works nicely and resists water damage. The downside is it's specific gravity is a little heavy and it won't take take much weight to go sub-surface. I find it best for poppers, pencils and deep swimmers. Suckers cast a mile.
I agree w/ the Prof. about searching here, and with Slipknot; cedar is better for floatability and being able to adjust action through weighting, just not really durable with toothy critters or rocks. Still, it's what I make most of my plugs out of.
I seal all my plugs before paint & rigging with 50/50 spar varnish/Waterlox- which is a modified tung oil- which I then thin 50% with naptha for penetration. I put them in a sealed container until I remember to take them out- at least overnight, and then let them dry for a couple of days. With a quick scuff from a Scotchbite pad,the paints I've been using (mostly spray cans, some automotive enamels) hold very well.
Try the library for Bruce Hoadly's "Understanding Wood" for a book on the properties of wood and wood products.

Thanks for the help guys!!!

Save your mahogony for the future and make some Atom 40 type swimmers like an old lure company did ,, "Blue Streak" used furniture grade mahogony .. my mentor told me that .. CS

Save your mahogony for the future and make some Atom 40 type swimmers like an old lure company did ,, "Blue Streak" used furniture grade mahogony .. my mentor told me that .. CS

I have been trying to figure out what to do with some 8/4 Mahogany