can anyone suggest a small letterpress machine for a beginner? It's for personal use only. I absolutely love this print technology and have been watched countless videos on youtube. Can anyone suggest a good machine for a beginner if they are still in production?
This is some of the work that I wanna try to make myself:
If you do not need the pressed bumps inside the surface, you can try to transfer the metal color from a piece of laminating foil to paper. I haven't tried it, only seen some web stories of it. One promising idea was to run through a laminating heater machine a normal black laser printing face to face with a piece of metallic laminating foil. It was this: https://www.mybluprint.com/article/diy-gold-foil-prints-are-too-beautiful-to-be-this-easy.
And here's another: https://bydawnnicole.com/diy-foil-prints-two-ways/
Finally there's metallic ink printing such as this: https://www.rolanddga.com/products/inks/eco-sol-max-metallic-ink-printing I bet this is a little costy when compared to the previous methods. But obviously it's a bargain when compared to automatic mechanical metal stamping machinery
Late add due the comments:
The questioner seemingly wants no hi-tech machines, but a a simple mechanical press and has found how he gets strong enough types, typesetting frame and custom shapes. The press itself can be a hobby construction project. Here's one idea which doesn't need precision mechanic works and surely generates enough force:
Scissor jack is fastened to the moving plate (blue) and to the ceiling. There's available jack models with bigger plates than my example
Book binding presses are generally available. They can be sturdy enough also for this purpose:
One possiblity more to think: Get a laundry mangle. Put the things between two rubber coated metal plates and let go.
(a Wikipedia image)
Note that not all of the examples you provided are simple letterpress. The second and the latter are hot stamped, which means that a thin metal sheet is being lightly melted into paper fibers through heat and engraved zync plates, which usually are pretty expensive them alone since they require precision machinery and CNC metal working. The machines are also pretty expensive for normal business, so I don't think that any manufacturer is actually making them for hobby purposes.
However, if you are interested in little production and the only effect you wish to achieve is the bump on the paper, you should be able to look for some little, old pedal-powered letterpress machines from specialized antique trades; they should need metal types, however, which are harder to work with than one can immagine; another option is to look for a small letterpress machine which works with polymer plates. Polymer plates are cheap, affordable, they can emboss various shape and don't cost too much (there are even some on-demand services that make them with your designs) and are perfect for small editions. However, machinery that gives good results would make it a pretty expensive hobby.
Depending on where you live, you could look after a FabLab or Cooperative Workspace and see if they possess such a tool - this would be the best option since you could work at your project with an "hobbistic-friendly budget" without having to buy the whole thing.
It somewhat depends on what exactly you wish to imprint, but there are placed which manufacture custom seals and embossers - Like this one.
They aren't generally cost effective for one-offs and it's a die so different art would come with a die charge again. And there are general limitations regarding format/size. But who knows.. it might fill some need.
There are some hobby machines that cut vinyl letters and logos that could do it. Go to a Michael's or Hobby Lobby and check them out.
They are used to decorate t-shirts but it could go on paper.
:)