Hi Gillian,
I’m still going stro… um, hanging in there.
I wouldn’t strike the top of the arbor press. It isn’t necessary and over time I don’t think the impact would do the gears any good. Just using the lever is good enough for hallmark / quality mark stamping. You can also get a very nuanced feel using the lever.
I have a 2 ton arbor press and use it for some fairly heavy work. I often resort to using a 3 ft. pipe on the lever as a cheater bar for extra force or so I don’t have to work as hard. The extra leverage also allows for a more nuanced feel.
My 2 ton arbor press can do work I’d otherwise have to use a 20 ton hydraulic press for, the difference being one quick stroke with the arbor press vs. many strokes and more time pumping the hydraulic press.
If you can find one a 2-ton arbor press costs about twice as much as a 1-ton and seems able to do more than twice as much. It is a tool I use a lot. They are fairly large and weigh around 100 lbs. so they need to be on a sturdy bench. See the post: " Rolling mill stand/anchor"
Hope this helps.
Neil A