Yes, the first hour or two of pressing was definitely problematic -- as I said, I had an unexpected meeting, so I had just enough time to throw it in the press and dash off, returning nearly two hours later. Ah, well -- it is not too bad, and since it will be eaten in just a few weeks, it will hopefully do just fine.
The plastic in this container was definitely of a better quality than most. I don't recall what came in it, or where we got it; the lid disappeared years ago, and yet it remained in our storage container cabinet all this time, very annoying and in the way. Now, of course, I'm glad it was still there!
Based on the make yesterday and the Lancashire that is in the mold today, this mold seems to be just about the right size for a 3-gallon make. In terms of pots that I have available, I could possibly increase to 3.5 or maybe even 3.75 gallons, but if I do that, I'll have to find something just a bit larger -- the final product would fit, but getting all the curds into the mold to begin pressing would be problematic.