Seeking advice on applying clear powder coat

clear powder coating is an odd duck. Two of the companies I work for do a lot of powder coating with color, clear, wrinkle quite a variety of finishes. If you are spraying clear on brass without a base color the results you are getting are par for the course. You can put it on fat and smooth it out after curing but it's a lot of work for pens. The powder coat lines at these places are set up by the pros at Nordson, 3M etc. The rate of line speed is set, the amount of powder and even the guns or turbo discs (wet paint) have a preset velocity and pattern of movement. The parts all run through a sophisticated prewash system and curing oven with predetermined line speeds and temps. The one you did in the picture looks good. Put one in a "lathe" and make it spin at a slow set rate and apply your powder in a uniform fashion but phat and cure. Experiment with your curing temperature and you might find the correct formulas for slicking out that clear. Also...are you preheating the brass before applying the powder? Some of the best results come from the heat from the dry off oven after parts are washed yet before the powder is applied. Cool project! It's nice you get to try and help your pop on this. Good Luck!