Les:

Generally speaking . . .

If you have 'pits' - you need to clean the surface better. This is normally a reaction to oils/silicone left on the surface. Especially if you also have orange-peel.

Orange peel is simply too much paint being applied at one time. (Reduce the paint flow and/or back away from the surface.)

Make sure you mix your paint to the manufacturers specifications. ALWAYS get the MSDS sheet for ALL the components of your paint system. That means the paint, the thinners/reducers and any additives that may be needed. The paint store HAS to have these available - even if they have to print them for you off of their computers!

Use a mix-stick or the cheap plastic mixing containers with the ratios printed on the side to get your mixing ratios perfect.

Have adaquate air-flow to the actual gun. The best way to make sure you do is to have a small adjustable pressure guage right at the air inlet on the gun itself.

Set the pressure at the wall/compressor about 5- 10 lbs higher than recommended and final-adjust it to the recommended spec at the gun.

You WILL always have a pressure drop over the length of the hose you are using. The only way to know if you have the correct pressure at the gun - is to have a pressure guage at the gun!

Do not adjust the pressure at the gun once it's set. If you need to thin the paint - pour it back into you mixing cup and adjust the entire batch there. Then try again on your cardboard.

Always use a pressure regulator and water separator bwtween the compressor and the gun!

Always check your spray pattern on a scrap piece of cardboard. This is where you want to work on distance, flow and stroke - before you start on the actual part to be painted.

Do all you adjusting for flow and pattern on the cardboard. This eliminates messing up the surface of the part being painted.

I hope this helps . . .

Jim

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