Painting door with acrylic

[1lebo4]

Hi.  Looking for a little help.  I have been looking for this specific answer for a few hours and can't seem to find it.  I have a Graco 395 with 313 tip and I am trying to get a smooth finish on some interior doors (doors off on sawhorses) spraying SW pro classic gloss acrylic.  I get close but still end up with some slight orange peel all over the door.  I have to keep the pressure up to keep from getting fingering.  Not sure what the pressure actually is but the dial is about 1/2 up. 1) My question is how can I get rid of the orange peel.  I have tried a 310 fine finish tip but it clogs real easy and does not seem to get enough paint out.  If I turn the pressure down I do not get the volume I need.  If I turn it up I get orange peel.  2) Can I thin the paint?  If so any idea how much?  Did not see anything on the can.  3) Would Flotrol help.? I have not tried it because the label says it may reduce the gloss.  Flotrol label says a quart flotrol to a gallon of paint for spraying..seems like a lot to me.  I know it extends the open time but did not think it changed the viscosity of the paint.  I know there is a way but I need the step-by-step version.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  I am on day 2 of trying to get this right.  So far I have 3 doors I have to go back and refinish because I messed them up.    What about 2 thin coats?  I have sprayed a little in the past but have never been able to get it just right.  I hate to think about rubbing out the orange peel finish on all these doors.  Got to be a better way than what I am doing. 

Thanks

[rmichael]

What do you mean by "Orange Peel" is it a rough overspray or a stippled appearance? Sometimes the term "Orange Peel" has different meanings... 

[1lebo4]

Thanks for the response.  It is not a rough finish.  It is smooth to the touch.  However,  if you look at it closely you see small dimples sort of like a golf ball but near that severe.  Looks like the peel of an orange.  Smooth but uneven.  I am trying to get a nice flat even coat but it doesn't lay down like that.  Thanks, Lance

[rmichael]

Lance,

The paint is too thick or the pressure is too low, try thinning the paint a bit ( 1/2 - 1 pint per gallon ) and add an extender like XIM latex extender, Floetrol will work be don't add as much as directed. The XIM will not affect gloss.
The 313 tip should work fine, but you will have to experiment to get the paint viscosity just right.

Best Luck,
rmichael

[1lebo4]

Thank you very much for the advice.  Unfortunately, I have created more work by trying to do this myself and am a little short on time trying to get it right.  If I had a little more time I think I could get it.  I thought I would give it a try and a few doors came out alright but a professional can do better.  So I have decided to have a professional painter do the remainder of the doors and the trim work.  This decision created a new issue I need some advice on. 
Little background.  I am building a house and had some down time while waiting on the cabinets and trim carpenter.  Being my first house I decided it would be Ok to prime the walls and put on my first coat of paint before the trim was installed.  After the trim was installed I would go back and prime, sand, and finish the trim first and not worry about the trim over spray since I would be spraying a final coat on the walls and ceiling later.  My intention was to mask off the trim after I painted it and then spray the ceiling and  walls.  Talked to a painter and he told me in a nice way that I was all messed up and out of order.  He is right.  I am out of the normal new construction flow but is it that big a deal?  I thought it would be OK since I was just sitting around waiting on cabinets.  What am I not thinking about?  He made it sound like I wasted a lot of money, time, and paint.  I thought I was getting ahead of the game not moving backwards.  Live and learn.  What is your opinion/suggestion? I really appreciate your help. 

[rmichael]

There is nothing wrong with priming plus first coat before the trim is installed, However, you must caulk the trim to the walls after installation of the trim, but you are still ahead of the game..  First finish the ceilings and lap a little ceiling paint on the wall or crown molding.
Next, caulk, putty, prime and paint the trim (brush) .I would finish the trim.  While painting lap a little trim paint on the walls. After the trim has dried ( at least 24 hours) Tape the top of the baseboards with 1-1/2" 3m Delicate tape, tape it clean, this will establish the paint line and prevent spray or splatter from the roller. Next apply the finish coat to the walls, simply cut the wall paint to the trim in order to establish a clean paint line. Be careful not to drip paint on the finished trim but if you do wipe it off quickly... 

Best Luck,
rmichael

[1lebo4]

RMichael,

Thanks again.  The painters I have talked to both use an oil based primer and paint for the trim.  They also spray but I see you suggest a brush.  I have a Graco 395 if it makes a difference.  A brush vs spray to keep the paint off the ceilings I assume?  I am shooting for a nice smooth gloss finish on the trim and hope to avoid any brush marks.    I know my situation dictates what I do but is brushing preferred over spraying or is it the other way around on trim?  Thanks

[rmichael]

Back in "the day" oil was standard practice for trim but these days it is unusual for oil to be used, especially on new work. There are several reasons, number one is the fact that oils are becoming extinct due to the EPAs VOC regs. There is also coating compatibility issues if you spray the trim and cut back with the latex wall paint.... and you will need two rigs for spraying, one for latex and one for oil.
As far as method for spraying , there are many but  the doors are usually removed from the hinge pins, numbered and garage sprayed. The walls are masked and the trim is sprayed, if you use an acrylic trim paint and are pretty good with a spray gun masking may not be required if you are spraying the trim before finishing the walls.
It is impossible to touch up sprayed walls that have not been back rolled, most pros apply the final coat on the walls with a standard "cut and roll" method.
I would suggest that you check out some high end acrylic enamels for the trim...