Quote: Yeah, the spray cans are definitely nice for applying the paint--it self-levels well enough out of the spraycan to go on very smooth. I have heard rumors that the spray can variety is not as durable as the canned stuff. Not sure if that's the case or not.
I just finished my third coat on my test hood (wetsanded this morning). I decided to thin the mixture a bit more as an experiment. I tried 3 parts paint to 1 part spirits (25% spirits). The first two coats I had used 5 parts paint to 1 part spirits or around 17% spirits. Whereas before I had no bubbles, today there were lots of bubbles. Bubbles everywhere. I was able to pop them by puffing on them with moderate force (felt like I'd pass out after a while and this is just the hood ). After the bubbles popped there were small globs of paint remaining where the bubbles had been. We'll see how that dries.
I think my conclusion from this is that 25% is too much spirits. I will try for 20% on the next coat and see if that is any better.
Conner, it sounds like you are being quite scientific with your treatment of this, that's cool. I don't know though if the bubble problem has to do with too much spirits, I personally think (and from my own experience know) that it's easy to put the mixture on too thick. A mixture that's applied too thick will not self level as well as a thin layer, and I think the bubbles are so thin with a thinly applied mix, that they pop and level on their own. With a lot of mixture on there, the bubble of air has more paint surrounding it, so it does not pop as easy, and when it does pop, there's a big glob of paint there.
At least this was my experience. I even pushed down fairly hard on the roller, which made tons of bubbles, but I had so little of the mixture on the roller when I did this, that they popped almost instantly on their own, no blowing required, and the surface laid perfectly smooth when I was done. I look at it as just "wetting" the surface so you can see there is some mixture on there uniformly, that's good enough. I also wouldn't hesitate to run the roller over an area many times, just using the paint that's on part of the area, in order to spread it out. that keeps the amount of paint on the surface nice and thin.
I dont think it's as easy to measure the amount applied as it is the ratio of mineral spirits to paint, but I know applying too much paint at once with this technique is not a good idea and I have a feeling it is involved with the bubble problem people are having (though I think that has to do with mixture % also)...
conner..every thing Exit1965 has said is true. I have applied 7 coats playing around with different mix's not ratios but just going by consistency of paint. this is the best way to learn how to get it right! that measuring crap just doesnt work the same every time. You want this stuff pretty thin. the thinner it is the flatter the paint lays and no bubbles whats so ever and no roller lines. trust me the thick stuff makes the bubbles that pop and makes little crater spots and also leaves roller lines. If you get it thin enough you cant even tell that you rolled it on after it has dried.
). After the bubbles popped there were small globs of paint remaining where the bubbles had been. We'll see how that dries. 
