Late to the party. Pilgrim is spot on. I would give this softer a try. There's an old veneer softener recipe of consisting of 3 parts water, 2 parts yellow glue, 1 part vegetable glycerin (which can be found at most pharmacies), and 1 part denatured alcohol. This combination will soften veneer but it's sticky, messy, and hard to dry. It will also seal the wood cells which can have an effect on the wood's ability to accept a stain and finish. If you opt to use homemade veneer softener, you will find that glue content causes the veneer to stick to the absorbent paper. You can avoid this issue by placing a piece of fiberglass cloth between the veneer and the paper. Fiber glass cloth can be found at your local hardware store near the adhesives aisle.