First thing to consider is the press. I am pretty happy with my Harbor Freight press but Harbor Freight stuff is definitely the cheapest there is and it's not great quality. And, the jack did fail and I replaced it with a better quality, slightly heavier jack.
And, size. For personal use, I think this table top model works just fine. If you have the room and you want to get a floor press, bigger is always better. You don't have to use it all. And, the commercial peeps who are pressing giant blocks, definitely need the larger presses.
So, look around locally for a press. That's about the only thing that would probably be too much to ship.
Once you decide on a press, let me know and we'll look at the blocks. One thing to think about is shape. Every press I have seen uses square blocks. I chose round. I'm not sure why. It just seemed more logical.
The total PSI that is transferred to your blocks from the jack is determined by the square inch size of your blocks. And, since you never use the very corners of a square block, it's just lost pressure. Plus, I use round pucks and let it flow from all sides rather than most people who direct the rosin in one direction.
I have square and I have round. Both work. I like the round better.
If you go with a table top press, the thickness is limited to about 1". Any thicker than that and the press doesn't open far enough. 1" works great for me. I also have 2" and 1/4" prototypes.
Let me know what you come up with on the press and we'll go from there.
Also, do you have (or know anyone) with a drill press? I'm sure the holes can be drilled by hand but a drill press makes sure the hole is nice and straight so the cartridge heater fits nice and snug. Although, again, my first one was hand drilled and it was crooked as crap but it worked great. I am SO MUCH NOT a handyman. LOL
