Hi John,
I follow Caldwell's suggestion of doing the first few presses just enough to see a trickle of whey expelling and gradually increasing weight. I've had very good success on the final press weights the following way:
3.2 PSI for washed curd cheeses such as Gouda and Jack
4 PSI for hard cheeses such as Cheddar and parm.
On a 7'' mould, that's as much as 150 LBS of direct weight at an average ambiant temp of 72-75F (22-24C).
Good luck with your compact press!