Urgent paint help needed.

So, I'm 5 coats into the color layer, and I can still see the grain in the wood. I used a filler primer, 4 coats, and sanded it to 2000 grit. It was like glass, and I was sure I had the grain filled.

The paint I am using is an automotive paint, because it was the only way I could get the exact color I wanted. However, it's much thinner than any other spray paint I have ever used. I'm used to a hobby style enamel that will cover wood grain in a coat or two. Can anyone offer any help? Do I continue building up coats? Will the grain disappear afte the clear goes on and I wet sand it?

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Hi Mr Mayhem, you should have stopped after 1 coat if you could see the grain. There are 2 options. Option 1 sand it back and reapply grain filler. Option 2 keep spraying colour coats and hope it eventually fills in the grain. Clear coats won't fill the grain.
It is important to take action after the 1st coat but you are 5 coats in.
Did you apply timbermate or did you rely on the primer to fill the grain ?

I could not find a grain filler, nobody at any of the retailers near me knew what it was. I used a sandable primer, and it looked and felt like glass under bright light, so I figured I was good to go. I should also state that they are 5 very thin coats. The first one was almost transparent, so I thought nothing of it. I thought the paint would build and level like a normal spray would.

If I sand it back a bit, then apply a filler resin/epoxy, will I get the effect I need?

Hi Mr Mayhem, I find it surprising you couldn't find a grain filler. I'm not sure how easy a resin/epoxy will clean up and sand flat. I would maybe try and spray some more of your sandable primer, maybe put on a few coats of that to see if it fills the grain, wet sand between coats and see if you can get it flat, then continue with blue coats.
I'd only try the epoxy/resin if the sanding primer doesn't work.

firstly - dont add more top coats - acryllic spray can take a lot of time to fully cure at the best of times - this wont help, I've tried it...

wokka's suggestion of sanding back to the primer and adding more is not a bad idea - perhaps it has shrunk as it cured.

alternatively - sand back and use a product like timbermate - like a wood putty, water soluble - and make like a paste with it by adding water to an amount. Rub this in , let it dry , then sand back - lots of guys have used it here, have a quick search and look at what they have done

When using auto primer I usually do 2 heavy coats, next day sand, 2 lighter coats, next day sand, 2 light coats, next day sand. leave for a few days before doing colour. It is slow to dry even though it looks and sands like it's dry, you can have it looking glassy in the afternoon but grain showing again in the morning. I think the timber absorbs the thinners, swells, looks smooth, then slowly dries out and contracts again. Lets face it , it wasn't really made for use on timber, but I have katana sayas's (sheaths) I painted 10 years ago with auto paints and still look the same as the day I finished them so it does work if you leave plenty of drying time.
I'd sand it till it's smooth again, or very close. if you just have small patches of grain, give those areas extra coats and sand them. If you are using a gun,make a heavy mix and leave plenty of drying time
On my ES I found the areas I'd dyed where drinking up the clear, so I had no option but to keep putting clear coats on and sanding them between. (2 coats in the mornig, sand, 2 coats at night leave till morning ..sand.) I got it 95% smooth, I could have kept going but it kinda looks a bit "genuine" as it is.

I just had a convo with a Luthier on twitter. She said she has had a few guitars over the years that had similar grains, and the owners wanted to change them up. She uses good, old fashioned joint compound. Thin coat, sands up easily and takes paint great. I might give that a swing. Interesting technique.