Where was this chip again?
It's just above the beer can on the right side. There's a picture of it at the top of page 2 of this thread.
Update... Still taking my time to fill the chip marks. Will be doing the third coat later today.
I've done more research and think I understand why the first application melted when the top coat was applied. It was indeed the "curing" of the base coat. Even though I am working in a heat controlled environment the touch up paint remains soft.
Looking at the used 3000 wet/dry paper I am noticing a build up on the paper. It is not loose powder like one would think would be on the paper, it is solid build up like I sanded something wet or sticky. I went on to look at my test board. My fingernail will imprint in the test swabs after several days of the original application. This tells me the touch up paint lacks "hardener" normally mixed with the paint. So, if the first applications didn't cure properly then the clear pearl addition would again soften the applied base mixture and cause it to loose it's chemical bond.
I have started using a hair drier to cure the paint in between coats hoping to harden each application. This seems to be working a bit better than allowing an air-dry effect.
Chroming is simply not an option. The beer cans are usually chrome but to do this doesn't follow the theme of the TS and the cost involved making this change doesn't seem reasonable at this time. This project has grown out of hand but my maker touched me with a curiosity bug long ago and it's now my nature to follow through on aggravating things like this. Chroming would be an easy way out.
Again the chip marks are filling in nicely and the added heat seems to harden the touch paint a little better. Before I add a third coat today I will test the sanding and check the curing. If all goes well I would expect this to be completed soon. At that time I will post a before and after picture and give a step by step analogy of the process.
(Like I said before, this thread is a bit silly but if it helps someone else down the road I will continue to wear my dunce hat for a while)