Having to re-glue an old frame...what kind of material is this (pic inside)?

[KingwoodFan1989]

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!

[Stwood_]

Maybe a type of pressed fiberboard.

Glue. Maybe superglue

[jteneyck]

Maybe a type of pressed fiberboard.

Glue. Maybe superglue

I'd say the same.  

John

[EdL]

Agree with the pressed fiberboard.

Clear Gorrila glue would be my choice.

Ed

[Cooler]

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:


Gluing on a dust cover will also add some strength to the mouldings.

[Wild Turkey]

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?

[KingwoodFan1989]

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.