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+-- Thread: Having to re-glue an old frame...what kind of material is this (pic inside)? (/showthread.php?tid=7350103)
Having to re-glue an old frame...what kind of material is this (pic inside)? - KingwoodFan1989 - 09-04-2019
Okay, so my mom has a dual photo frame with two of her grandparents' pictures in it, and the frame itself looks to be at least decades old. Parts are cracked and so I'm having to reglue it. What's weird though is what it's made of. I'm posting a picture below. It almost looks like an older version of particle board, but the thing is, it has a VERY prominent musty odor to it that is noticeable several feet away. The way it has cracked is also different from how I've seen wood crack in the past. The cracked surfaces are very even and are not fibrous or splintery like you'd have with regular wood. What is this stuff, and will traditional wood glue still work alright on it?
Thanks!
RE: Having to re-glue an old frame...what kind of material is this (pic inside)? - Stwood_ - 09-04-2019
Maybe a type of pressed fiberboard.
Glue. Maybe superglue
RE: Having to re-glue an old frame...what kind of material is this (pic inside)? - jteneyck - 09-04-2019
(09-04-2019, 06:54 PM)Stwood_ Wrote: Maybe a type of pressed fiberboard.
Glue. Maybe superglue
I'd say the same.
John
RE: Having to re-glue an old frame...what kind of material is this (pic inside)? - EdL - 09-04-2019
Agree with the pressed fiberboard.
Clear Gorrila glue would be my choice.
Ed
RE: Having to re-glue an old frame...what kind of material is this (pic inside)? - Cooler - 09-05-2019
When I was a picture framer the cheap custom frames were made from a hardwood (with no name) from the far east. The custom frames from Michaels' Hobby were a mix of that and extruded MDF.
It should be dimensionally stable and as long as it is not exposed to high humidity it should be fine. Woodworkers III would be my choice. Paint both edges so that the glue will soak in and then clamp.
The MDF does not hold screws well, so the flat tabs are better than the screw eyes.
These:
![[Image: 1-hole-type-samll-Picture-Hangers-frame-...hanger.jpg]](https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1DaCILVXXXXXtXVXXq6xXFXXX7/1-hole-type-samll-Picture-Hangers-frame-hardware-steel-hooker-hanging-pieces-furniture-picture-drawing-hanger.jpg)
Gluing on a dust cover will also add some strength to the mouldings.
RE: Having to re-glue an old frame...what kind of material is this (pic inside)? - Wild Turkey - 09-06-2019
(09-04-2019, 06:41 PM)KingwoodFan1989 Wrote: Okay, so my mom has a dual photo frame with two of her grandparents' pictures in it, and the frame itself looks to be at least decades old. Parts are cracked and so I'm having to reglue it. What's weird though is what it's made of.
I would check with an antiques dealer/restore place -- that sounds like some old frame that was cast out of something when fancy carving was a slow process.
Could it be "Bakelite" or something similar?
RE: Having to re-glue an old frame...what kind of material is this (pic inside)? - KingwoodFan1989 - 09-07-2019
(09-06-2019, 01:11 AM)Wild Turkey Wrote: I would check with an antiques dealer/restore place -- that sounds like some old frame that was cast out of something when fancy carving was a slow process.
Could it be "Bakelite" or something similar?
Hmm...not sure. I checked the back of the frame and it says it was made by a place called Alfred's Picture Frames in Los Angeles, with a date of 1990, so it's nowhere near as old as I thought it was. I don't know what the material was, but my mom ended up trying some regular Gorilla Glue before I could try the clear stuff, and it worked fine.