Hi Kevin,
I've sent you a PM as a follow up. For the forum's benefit, here is a summary of contamination issues explained in more detail.
CONTAMINATION.
Fish eyes, cratering, popping and silicone finish, can be caused by many things. Auto paints when being applied, are very sensitive to contamination issues. Most people don't know that or take that for granted. I will give you a list below of things that can cause contamination issues. Working out what was your specific cause is like solving a murder mystery. It's a process of elimination when going through the clues and evidence. Bad contamination also affects the adhesion factor of the paint film to bind properly to the substrate. From your pics, you are a victim of aggressive contamination here, not mild. Let's start with your new spray gun.
1.GUN ISSUES.
Most gun companies oil their newly made guns inside and out before they box and ship them out with gun oil. This is very bad news for the painter , because if you don't clean/flush your gun inside and out with heaps of thinners before you go to use it for the first time, you will get major contamination probs when applying your base and clear coats. Be careful not to ruin any internal gun seals by over excessive use of thinners, eg. don't soak your gun in thinners.
2. CONTAMINATION ON THE WIND AND AIR.
Drift contamination. This is a BIG one! Silicone is the worst offender here. It can float and drift on the air and wind currents for hundreds of yards, and contaminate your panels as you are spraying. It's very important to make sure your immediate and surrounding area you're spraying in is free of any sources of oils, waxes, silicones, lubricants, household cleaners, even the wife cooking a greasy fatty dinner on the stove, and air can drift from the kitchen out to your garage or spraying area. Neighbourhood activities and neighbours doing some activities, that can cause contam probs to happen . etc where contaminating VAPORS may drift around on the air and contaminate your panels. Very important!
3. CONTAMINATION THROUGH DIRECT CONTACT, TRANSFER AND AIR.
This one takes in a variety of situations. They are,...... Sweat and body oil on hands touching the panels to be sprayed. Wiping and cleaning rags that have substances, oils or chemicals on them already that would shed out,transfer to the job, and cause contam probs. Using cheap wax and grease removers prior to painting. Also, it's important to apply your quality wax & grease remover on your panel, then immediately wipe and dry any excess off with a fresh dry wiper . If you don't, that can cause contam probs as well. Your auto paint store should sell you a proper box of wipers just for this purpose. Be careful of some brands of tack rags or tack cloths as they can contam your surface as well. I don't use them myself. Make sure that there are no upholstery panels where Armoral dressings or silicone type dressings have been used. That will most certainly cause major contam probs to happen. Fish oils and waxy type rust coatings applied to inner panel cavities, can cause contam probs as well. Check to see that you are not getting ANY compressor oil or water coming through your air lines. If you get the smallest amount, it will cause contam probs for sure. Check your regulator for any evidence of this that may be happening. Clean at intervals, and drain your regulator and compressor when water starts to build up.If oil has contaminated an air line, throw it away and buy a new one, as the oil residue on the inside walls of the hose, will cause ongoing contam probs to happen. Don't use foreign or household cleaning products to help clean or prep up your panels prior to painting. Some leave residue chemicals that lead to contam probs as well. Sand parts and panels down with town water, but immediately chamois dry your panel straight after sanding as the chemicals and salts in the water can cause contam issues as well if left to dry on their own without drying assistance. Also, any mixing rulers, mixing containers or vessels, must be free on contamination as well. Make sure your clothes that you are wearing don't have any contaminating substances or chemicals on them when spraying. Some washing powders and fabric softeners can cause contam probs as well. Better to buy a spray suit from your auto paint store when spraying. Keep hands as clean as possible leading up to the application of the paint. If you don't use latex gloves, wash your hands with wax and grease remover to remove the body oils temporarily from your hands. Avoid using silicone drops additives. They cause more on going problems then they try to solve. Make sure your airline is free from any contaminating substances it may have picked up from lying on the ground or resting on a surface that was contaminated itself. Don't spray with you wearing any hair oils, mouses etc, they can be a prob as well. Keep any Vasoline jelly well away from the spraying area. So move from wet sanding your panels, into proper drying off, and use wax and grease remover at any stage you want to combat contam issues. Most important just before you spray. This basic technique should be what you need to avoid trouble with contamination. Don't have your compressor located in the same area that you are spraying in, as that can cause contam probs as well. Try to avoid detailing or waxing your car in the same area as you would be painting in, as residual contaminants will cause contam probs to occur.
4. PRE CONTAMINATED PANELS.
There are some types of waxes and sealers out there that are very powerful and because the paint film is like human skin , it breathes, and lets these waxes, silicones and chemicals penetrate deep into the paint film, even down too and into the metal. They can re release and weep up through the existing paint film to re contaminate your panel surface you are trying to spray. Washing several times with wax and grease remover can help to eliminate this problem, but is not always a guarantee to work. When washing several times over, it's important to use fresh wipers every time you do a wash and dry run.
5.RECOMENDATIONS.
Auto paints alone in their own right, should not and don't cause contam probs.. unless you are a victim of a batch of contaminated paint. Very unlikely though. The best way of avoiding contam issues is to spray in a clean spray booth, suit up with a clean spray suit,use a quality wax & grease remover and wash and wipe off throughally, have a super clean air supply, use the proper wipers, wear latex gloves, and watch out for tack rags causing problems. Tip..... when applying your base coat and clear coat, try laying your first coat on lightly to dry. This will be a visual test to see if you are going to get contam reaction issues. Dumping a full wet coat of clear on straight away, means you're then locked in if bad contam reveals itself, whereas in some cases, applying light coats slowly, can get you 'round the contam prob from magnifying itself more. Searching on the net will probably bring even more info to learn about on this subject than i have covered here.That then, probably covers most of it.
Greg. (Pro painter)