The $220 book press that almost ruined my first fanbinding run

I bought one of those cheap cast iron book presses online last month, thought I was being smart. Paid $220 shipped. The thing looked solid in photos but the platens were warped, not flat at all. My text blocks came out with a slight curve in the spine area, noticed it after pressing a 400 page novel I was binding for a friend. Tried shimming it with cardboard, wasted two evenings on that. Should've just spent the extra $150 on a proper nipping press or even built one with some plywood and threaded rod. Has anyone else dealt with warped platens on budget presses? How do you check flatness before you buy?

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