Keep the cans in warm water, before and during use. Keeping the paint warm will help get you more even spray and coverage.

Check the how to articles here:
http://www.chuckhawks.com/index5.motorcycles.htm

 

ahh this is why I love this forum! Thanks for all the info guys. The paint was Rustoleum gloss black engine enamel. You guys are right; the instructions say you can apply coats two minutes apart. Once you've started to let it cure the instructions say you must wait 24 hours to apply any additional coats. I sprayed it twice in the two minute window with great results. I was thinking I’d let it cure and hit it with an additional two coats for strength. That's when I got what one of you described perfectly as the orange peel look.

Do you guys think three coats right away are enough?

Thanks again for all the help!

 

As someone else said, I always do real light coats, about 10 mins apart. If it's a cooler day, like below 60, I will paint things in the sun to warm them up.

Also, when I spray I spray side to side starting and ending off the peice, and never start or stop spraying while over the peice.

I changed the entire interior of my 2006 Mustang from grey to black using Dupont interior color spray. The only people that ever noticed it were the ones that knew it was grey the last time they got in. That was a project that took about 6 weeks and 10 cans of spray.

 

Another tip, don't paint when it is raining. (Even if you are indoors). I also don't like to paint when it is humid. Paint seems to come out best on a warm (70-80 degree) dry day.

 

Often with aerosols you can apply several thin coats as soon as the first coat tacks up. You have to wait a little to avoid runs but you are essentially creating one coat in several applications. If you wait more that 10 minutes or so, you are essentially adding a seperate coat and it will try to lift or crackle the first coat. This is caused because the product is shrinking as it dries and it seperates or pulls itself apart from the first coat.

The way to avoid this is if you have to wait over 10 or 15 minutes, you are better waiting 24 hours for it to set so you can then sand it so the new coat can bite in and then add more coats.

 

Have you considered flat black? It's a lot more forgiving

 

Rattle can paint always give a second coat before the first is dry or it will wrinkle up or orange peel on you , doesn't hurt to warm up the base part some first . Been spray bombing bike parts since the late 60's like that .

 

I just rattle canned my 82 Ironhead and it looks as good as ANY paint. Rustoleum should be applied in several light coats a few minutes apart. I usually use 4-5 light coats of base colorand these are all applied within 30 min max! I believe the can say spray additional coats within 1 hour or after 48 hours. I apply 5-6 clear coats after waiting at least a week.
Rustoleum says to recoat at least 48 hours later. I waited a week. By recoating after 24 hours the original paint was not fully cured and as the fresh coat was applied and started to shrink it will give you a very very rough appearance. As I have found patience is the key to a good paint job. Rustoleum also make a great filler/primer which hides slight imperfections.
My only other advice would be if you have some like a gas tank where there is the chance of gas spills you should use a two-part clear (they sell it in a can). This contains a hardener and makes the paint MUCH more resistant to gas and UV light.

 

I just finished painting my '74 FLH with Rustoleum acrylic enamal Gloss Deep Blue and Gloss white. I sanded it down to metal, cleaned it really well, shot sandable primer on it, sanded it with 400, cleaned it really well, shot it with the blue (two light coats at a time with a total of five coats in two days) sanded it with 800/1000/1500. Then taped it off and shot the white same way. Then shot the clear (engine paint from rustoleum to help resist gas spills), it five medium coats of that and sanded it with 1500/2000 (all wet sanding). The polished it with McGuirres #9 polish. It looks pretty damn good. All this took me over a week because of work. My bike is in my profile pic. Good luck...