In the past small mechanical veneer presses were made from cast iron with a hand screw to apply pressure to flat plates. Commercially built mechanical veneer presses, large enough to take a tabletop, use hydraulic rams to apply even pressure to the platens.

For small-scale veneering a press can be improvised using a series of pairs of wooden rails pulled together at each end by G-cramps or sash cramps. By slightly crowning the rails along their length they can be shaped to form cauls that apply pressure from the centre outwards. A pair of laminated kitchen worktop boards makes ideal pressure plates to clamp between the cauls.

The substrate and the veneer are then sandwiched in the middle.

Work the clamps progressively to apply pressure evenly from the centre outwards, giving the glue time to squeeze out. This system works all right for small areas but is impractical for large panels. To apply sufficient pressure needs a great number of clamps, while the cauls are likely to slip as they tighten.

Before applying a mechanical press, any step caused by small differences in the thickness of veneers must be padded out to ensure even pressure is applied to both sides of the joint.