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Spraying either way is fine, it's just you get more "build"
if you don't reduce it.
If you reduce it, it'll spray smoother.
So it's a trade off either way, more a personal preference.
I like to...

I would try buffing an area and see.
If you have enough clear on it, you should be fine.
It's best to sand the clear and let it sit a day
before buffing if you think you have a lot of trapped...

That's pretty much it.
Most reducers I buy have the recommended temperature range
right on the can.

The warmer it is when you spray the slower the reducer
you need in it. You want it to dry slower the hotter out it is.
A slow reducer is the same as a "high temp" reducer.
That's what it's for,...

Sometimes lowering the air pressure and slowing them down
helps a lot sanding clear coats.
I run mine about half speed.
Electric random orbitals work pretty good too.

Why not? If you clean your gun properly it doesn't matter.
Buy a larger tip for that gun, like the 2.2 and it'll
do a great job.

It's best to use a siphon feed gun for flakes.
The flake tends to settle in the neck of gravity feed guns
and clog them up.
If you have to use a gravity feed, then outfit it with a system
like...

That is true.
It seems like more air because it has higher velocity.
I just figured this out, thanks.

Mine speeds up more when I restrict the intake.
It runs its slowest with no restrictions, so I partially
closed off one side, it speeds up.
(It's wired for the fastest speed)

Try it and see

I have a squirrel cage blower from a old house furnace.
I keep one side partially blanked off.
That makes it run faster, just the opposite of what one would think.
Wide open it runs the slowest...

SS is much harder to spray without running.

When SPI epoxy is reduced and used as a sealer, it can be painted over after
only 1 hour.
But good points about the sealer, everything has its place.

A lot of painters do that very thing.
The belief is you'll get better adhesion for the paint if you
put it over a fresh sealer coat of epoxy compared to
sanded epoxy. I haven't been able to...

Your plan sounds good to me since you are staying only with DuPont products.
SPI has a great "free shipping" policy (hint, hint)
if you decide to change.
And you can buy black epoxy in quarts.

I use SPI epoxy, but I let it sit at least 24 hrs, I prefer 48, it then
sands real nice.
I have found Kirker epoxy not to bad either.
Either way, it still sands better than sealer.

I never...

If you want a sealer that can be easily sanded smooth, use epoxy
primer, it'll also take care of any bare metal and sand throughs.
It also comes in black.
If you thin it by it's directions to make...

Good attitude!!!
You'll do great;)

I could write a book on "what not to do"

It's hard to tell by the picture, but that paint
underneath looks way to smooth to me.
Was it thoroughly sanded? And with what grit?
and hopefully sanded AFTER it was cleaned thoroughly?

The difference between an amateur and a pro
is that a pro knows how to fix the problems that arises.:D

X2 on the Finishline, I got one last year with a 2.2 tip and it
sprays the poly primers really well, without reducing.
I really like it.

You left out CHEAP!!!!:D

I mostly use the slowest activator and the slowest reducer.
I usually don't paint once it's real cold out so that's pretty much it.
I'll use a faster one if it's a small part.
I have to wait...

I started using that one last year, I like it a lot.
I use to use the Universal, which I also like, but the Euro
is a harder clear and costs less. It seems thicker to me and I
have to reduce it...

If you see any peel at all after a cut and buff, then it wasn't sanded enough
before buffing. If it appears way later down the line, then it was shrinkage
due to rushing the process.

You'll make more money than working on cars, that's for sure :D

there's no way they can spec a PSI for all HVLP guns.
they vary to much.
Mine go from 18 PSI to 45PSI depending on the brand.

I sure see a big difference if I let my primer sit 3 days
before painting over.
But usually it has to sit out in the summer sun a couple of months
after final painting to notice the slight...

The "Bulldog" says it's both,
an adhesion promoter and also a flex additive.

http://www.wmbarr.com/ProductFiles/Bulldog%20Adhesion%20Promoter%20TPO123%20TDS%20Rev%2006%202012.pdf

Putting it on to wet is usually the culprit.

I've noticed that too.
I put some 80 grit stickey back roll paper on a flat surface
and true up my blocks from time to time by sanding them flat.
Works real good on the Durablocks.

No, I've used water that way and found that even that
doesn't show imperfections as good as a good guide coat.
If I block sand my primer with 150 grit first, then
guidecoat again and sand with...

Sometimes when all else fails, fish eye eliminator
can solve the problem.
Nobody likes using it, but it works.

I would never spray wax and grease remover over sanded primer.
It stays wet deep down much longer than what it appears.
I've seen more problems traced back to wax and grease remover than
any other...

You said before color so you must be talking epoxy primer.
Epoxy primer is usually not very thick and not suppose to be
sprayed more than a couple of coats at a time, so I'd say
to sand them...

With paint that old, basecoat/clearcoat shouldn't be a problem.
Find a brand that has variant sample chips and match to the
ones for your paint code.

I'm useing 2K clearcoat (LOL)

Usually you block with the coarse grits till all the lows and highs are gone
then use the 400 to 600 to rid the scratches and smooth everything out.
How many times and applications will depend on...

Long blocks are for straightening, and to straighten you need coarse grits.
Those finer grits will only smooth the surface making a long block pointless.
400 won't straighten primer very well, even...

I agree with that!!!!!:D

check the tech sheet for your primer,
Every 2K primer I've used says it has to be sanded before painting over.

Most 2K primers are high build, some more than others,
adding reducer to them only thins them
to make them spray better and/or lay smoother.
With or without the reducer the 2K is the same product....

Once sanded, you can put anything over epoxy, like 2K primer, paint, etc.
You don't need epoxy a second time.

99% of the paint jobs I see at car shows have some wave to them.
The owners don't even see it.

I have been having a problem too, only with putting base over epoxy,
never before have I had a problem, but now all of a sudden the base
is reacting with the epoxy.
The longer I let the epoxy...

Very well said Len.;)

Len: You don't believe base/clear is easier than single stage?
I'm shocked. That's one of the main reasons base/clear is recomended
over single stage to new painters, it's so much easier to apply....

Single stage urethane looks better than basecoat and is more durable.
If you want more depth and richer color, use urethane.
Plenty of show cars out there show that.
Just because basecoat is newer...

You can if you clearcoat it, it's done all the time.
Urethane is much stronger than basecoat and usually cheaper too.
I did my own car that way and it was the most durable paint
I've ever done....

I would scuff it if it were me,
it's just much safer.:D

No matter which "garbage" paint you choose just remember
there's a lot of people useing it and likeing it, otherwise,
that brand wouldn't exist.:?