Method of manufacturing a decorative substrate and decorative substrate produced thereby

A method of making a composite article, comprising the steps of:

• heating and pre-moisturizing a cellulosic fiber substrate;
• placing the cellulosic fiber substrate and a wood veneer in a press without pre-moisturizing the wood veneer;
• deforming and bonding the cellulosic fiber substrate and the wood veneer together under application of heat and pressure to form a composite article having opposite sides and opposite ends;
• and
• wetting the composite article to raise the moisture content of the wood veneer,
• wherein the cellulosic fiber substrate is continuous and has a surface,
• wherein the wood veneer covers the surface of the cellulosic fiber substrate, and
• wherein the composite article has a surface comprising a planar central portion extending along a first plane, a first planar side portion and a second planar side portion positioned at the opposite sides of the composite article and extending in a second plane that is spaced apart from the first plane, a planar top portion and a planar lower portion positioned at the opposite ends of the composite article and extending in the second plane, a first angled wall connecting a first side of the planar central portion to the first planar side portion, a second angled wall connecting a second side of the planar central portion to the second planar side portion, a third angled wall connecting the planar top portion to a first end of the planar central portion, and a fourth angled wall connecting the planar lower portion to the second end of the planar central portion.

A method of making a composite article, comprising the steps of:

• heating and pre-moisturizing a cellulosic fiber substrate;
• placing the cellulosic fiber substrate and a wood veneer in a press without pre-moisturizing the wood veneer;
• deforming and bonding the cellulosic fiber substrate and the wood veneer together under application of heat and pressure to form a composite article having opposite sides;
• and
• wetting the composite article to raise the moisture content of the wood veneer,
• wherein the cellulosic fiber substrate is continuous and has an upper surface,
• wherein the wood veneer comprises a plurality of wood veneer strips collectively covering the upper surface of the cellulosic fiber substrate, and
• wherein the composite article has a surface comprising a planar central portion extending along a first plane, a first planar side portion and a second planar side portion positioned at the opposite sides of the composite article and extending in a second plane that is spaced apart from the first plane, a first angled wall connecting a first side of the planar central portion to the first planar side portion, and a second angled wall connecting a second side of the planar central portion to the second planar side portion, the first and second planar side portions and the first and second angled walls each extending an entire length of the composite article.

A method of making a composite article, comprising the steps of:

• heating and pre-moisturizing a cellulosic fiber substrate;
• placing the cellulosic fiber substrate and a wood veneer in a press without pre-moisturizing the wood veneer;
• deforming and bonding the cellulosic fiber substrate and the wood veneer together under application of heat and pressure to form a composite article having opposite sides;
• and
• wetting the composite article to raise the moisture content of the wood veneer,
• wherein the cellulosic fiber substrate is continuous and has an upper surface,
• wherein the wood veneer covers the upper surface of the cellulosic fiber substrate, and
• wherein the composite article has a surface comprising a planar central portion extending along a first plane, a first planar side portion and a second planar side portion positioned at the opposite sides of the composite article and extending in a second plane that is spaced apart from the first plane, a first angled wall connecting a first side of the planar central portion to the first planar side portion, and a second angled wall connecting a second side of the planar central portion to the second planar side portion.