Fiddleback figure occurring in sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) wood is a well-known and documented phenomenon, but the same cannot be said about its effects on the physical, mechanical and acoustic properties and the dimensional stability of wood. In the study we sampled sycamore maple wood with present fiddleback figure as well as wood with regular grain. The structural properties were determined macroscopically and by light microscopy. The conditioned specimens were used to determine wood density, growth ring width and dimensional stability. Stifness of wood was determined by dynamic mechanical tests along and perpendicular to the grain and additionally by ultrasound in all anatomic wood directions. Static bending test was performed finally to determine static modulus of elasticity and bending strength. The fiddleback figure of maple on the microscopic level, in comparison with the straight grained wood, could not be clearly distinguished. The fiddleback figure showed no statistically significant effect on the density and dimensional stability of maple wood. The bending strength, dynamic and static moduli of elasticity of the two wood types were comparable. The damping of sound of maple wood with straight grain and maple with fiddleback figure along and transverse to the wood fibers was comparable.
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