Well I did that fender again with basically the same results. I bought a new gun, Craftsman with a 1.5 tip. Nothing special or expensive. The clear went on perfectly. I experimented with the mixture at the gun and followed manufacture inst. it is still very orange peeled, no matter what the mix. Had the gun set at the pressure in the gun instructions. I'm gonna try a different brand and see if that makes a difference. Good thing I'm patient. I guess if I wasn't I'd have to get another hobbie.
Keep you posted.
Jim