cockney_steve,
Thanks for the in-depth reply. I'm using a 2-pack paint with Valspar UD-429 instead of the hardener (same 2:1, but with about 30% thinner), which allows the paint to air dry. It apparently won't kill me, but the smell certainly gives the impression it will so I still wear a respirator & goggles, just in case. From what the guy in shop said it's similar to the stuff they use to make aerosol paints dry. It supposedly sets just as hard, but takes much longer to cure.
Visited a shop yesterday and they gave me some acrylic paint to mix with the Valspar, hopefully it'll work just as well as the last bit I had.
My next conundrum is the spraying... I thought I'd done it pretty well until I saw the orange peel at a certain angle, and I wondered why the 30% gloss paint looked high gloss.
The guy in the shop said I'd probably had the gun too close to the panel and that's why it dried glossy, he said to spray it on 'dry' and it'll have the intended finish. I'm using RAL 9010.
I'm now wondering if it's the cold air causing the orange peel or my crappy gun, if it's the latter can you recommend a compressor/gun rig? If it costs me £250 it'll still be cheaper than me replacing 20-odd cabinet doors. I always keep the paint and panels I'm practicing on in the house and only take them to the cold garage to spray, as soon as they're dry enough to handle they come back in the house.
Thanks again.