ive heard that between 70 and 75 degrees is perfect for painting and that you should have 55 psi at your gun when painting, is that true?

also ive heard that poor paint mixing can cause orange peel, what is that proper paint mixing process?

 

The temperature of the booth is irrelevant (to a certain extent.) Differences in booth temperatures are easily counteracted with reducers that work at difference speeds. That's why when you go to buy paint, you also have to reduce it with a reducers. Slow, medium, fast. You can also retard the way the paint cures. So for 70 to 75 degrees you would be using a medium. (depending on the manufactures recommendations.) For colder temperatures you would use a faster reducer. and vice versa.
This will give you an idea:
http://209.85.173.132/search?q=cache...ient=firefox-a

The PSI of the gun depends on the manufacturer. Every gun works differently. Each gun will come with specifications telling you what PSI will allow you to use it for environmental compliance. I've heard people say that when you turn the air up more, you can get a better spray out, but that's just opinion I suppose.
Here is an extensive article on setting up an HVLP gun:
http://www.hotrodders.com/articles/spraygun.html

I've never heard of poor paint mixing contributing to orange peel. Orange peel can come about in different ways, if the paint is applied in a "dry" fashion and you don't lead with a wet edge. If the pressure isn't high enough to break apart the paint particles and you end up with larger drops hitting the surface, that'll do it. If the pressure is too high or the gun is too close. There are ways, but paint mixing, never heard that.

The proper paint mixing process is going to be again, up the manufacturer. If they say 1:1 that means you pour one quart of paint plus one quart of reducer into a mixing cup. I just stir it with a paint paddle stick. Or you can close it into a sealed container and shake it.

 

I've sprayed in 45 degree weather with no issues. You probably already know the basics so the rest will be trial and error. Depending on what kind of equipment you have, the paint you are using, and your painting style will affect the outcome. Experinced painters all have their own techniques and all yeild excellent results. Just pratice and you will find what works for you best. Play with your gun settings and painting technique, try different paint systems, try different reducers (slow to fast), etc.... Eventually you will find what works best for you. So don't worry too much about ideal conditions because I sprayed in many different conditions with excellent results. This I face a lot cause I spray in my garage. I sprayed this in 45 degree weather.

 

that looks really good. i have a question. i got a medium reducer and its like 48 degress here in st. louis. and high would be at 58 today. how long will i have to wait after i primer the car for it to dry? and after painting the car too.

 

Flash times depends on the paint you're using. Read your tech sheets for the paint you choose to go with. On that car above, the primer sealer I used required an hour flash time before top coating. 1 coat would have been 30 mins but I did 2 coats. Because of the temp I waited about 15 mins longer. I did 3 coats of base with 10 mins between coats and 3 coats of clear with 10 mins between also. It was ready to cut and buff 24 hours later but I cut and buffed it about 40 hours later.