wat causes orange peel?

[wykidd]

i painted a fender using tractor paint it came out smooth as glass but i forgot wat air psi i used so today i sprayed the trunk i checked the air psi it was 40 psi with the trigger pulled it looks ok but it has orange peel in it its not as smooth as the fender any advice? thanks

[Roch_Greg]

see here for a brief explanation.

[Len]

i painted a fender using tractor paint it came out smooth as glass but i forgot wat air psi i used so today i sprayed the trunk i checked the air psi it was 40 psi with the trigger pulled it looks ok but it has orange peel in it its not as smooth as the fender any advice? thanks

Most peel is caused by a combination of factors including spray gun atomization (droplet size), droplet placement, reducer (solvent) drying speed, temperature at the time of application and the density of the paint products used. It's almost impossible for most novice painters and difficult for most pro painters to control all the variables and achieve perfection, that's why we recommend sanding and polishing in order to remove the peel and level the surface.

There's a fine line between a smooth paint application and having the paint RUN so it's usually best to error on the side of a little orange peel than having to repair a run.