The spraying of the colour coat did not quite go to plan. The paint instructions said " use light coats" and "the water based paints are usually supplied pre- thinned" and "use no more than 10% water to thin the paint if required" and "the objective is a flat matt finish with an even colour" .
I tried light coats and all I got was a grainy, dusty finish and when I opened the valve a bit I got a nice deep satin gloss. Worse, as I was finishing off one mix a gobbet of paint dropped right on the top of the tank.
Instructions also said " do not flat off the paint before applying the lacquer and under no circumstances use water as it will dissolve the paint".
Thinking about it I realised that the paint was too thick to go on flat and matt.
I had to wait a couple of days for it to harden off before using 1200 wet and dry (dry only) and it took me the best part of a day to repair the damage. The wet and dry very quickly clogged and the paint trapped on the surface scratched the workpiece.
Today I had another go and I thinned the paint by 10% with much better results, though a long way from a flat matt surface. It is a bit satin in some places, particularly the transition between the top and the sides of the tank where you cannot help but put more paint on. I even managed to get the colour relatively consistent. across all the areas painted.
With hindsight I would not use this paint again, too much skill, experience and knowledge required to get an even finish. All sadly absent in my case.
Tomorrow the lacquer, hoping that it will a) adhere properly, b) go on flat enough to hide the multitude of imperfections on the "flat, matt colour base coat" c) the atmospheric conditions do not cause the lacquer to bloom.
