Wondering if anyone has ever come across this. Looks like fisheye but with a tiny dust spec that may be causing it. Happened in two colors of CV over primer, so maybe its pump/hose related? Or something airborne?

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Interested in this as well. We are seeing this from time to time.

What material are you using? We are are using Matador and Innovat for clear. Colors show it worse than clears, but I believe it is present in the clears as well.

My thought is something coming from the inside of the pump, or falling off the outside of the gun/hose. We have a line heater that could be holding some contaminants.

Many a finisher has lost sleep racking his brain on exactly why this happens.... Sometimes I have found the answer but 90% of the time you never really know what causes it... Do your inner well being a favor. Lick your wounds and move on. Best thing to do is just clean/flush your equipment well... check your regulator filter bowls from your main air supply line for rust/oil/contaminants. If you've introduced new grooming products to your own personal routine go back to what you were using. Most deodorants contain silicone for that nice smooth feeling when you apply it.... On hot sweaty days those lotions and deodorants will multiply like bacteria and work their way all over your skin and equipment... I have a long story about how I eliminated a fisheye problem in one of my operators booths... short story we had the problem for days and after process of elimination we found he had been using his old ladies deodorant all week.

Thanks. Using chemlife 24 primer and topcoat. Happens with two pumps. I checked my first stage of filters and the oil coalescer is trashed. Hopefully replacing that may help. Also somewhat recently purchased a new to me compressor, really hoping its not piston rings or something. Bought new fluid lines and still happening.

If its from the system(gun, hose, filter) its usually more consistent and frequent.

The random bit of garbage that ends up occasionally in one coat is simply something one deals with from time to time.

If it happens with any kind of consistency its time to have a complete look at all possibilities.

I would guess its a particle of something the finish didn't like. Surface tension collapses.

I have found straining the finish with a
really fine strainer catches a lot of stuff
the paint strainers miss. And that fine
dirt can cause that.
I got a metal fine strainer off Ebay that I pour
all my finishes through and it has made a
huge difference.
It cost me a dollar and I just rinse and reuse it.

looks a speck of oil, likely from a worn seal. It'll get worse.

The cause of fish eyes is usually some kind of contamination, it can be like finding a needle in a hay stack as others have mentioned.
I ran into a guy many years ago who had his own finishing shop for ever and then the supplier hired him because he knew so much. He worked for ever with that company and learned a ton more from the suppliers.
He said the biggest culprits of fish eyes, are dirty fingers and dirty air. Cleaning dirty fingers is fairly easy, dirty air not as easy. You need a good supply system, preferably without using black pipe as it is full of rust and oil. You need good filters and dryers, to clean your air. He said one shop they tried everything and still had some contamination, it turned out it was coming from one of there $5 air blowers that they blew off their parts after they sanded. It had some silicone or oil or something in it.