Method of providing cured coating films free of popping defects

A method of making a cured coated film having an average film build of at least 2.0 mils/50.8 microns which is substantially free of popping defects, comprising

• applying a curable coating composition to a substrate to form a coated uncured substrate having an average film build of at least 2.0 mils/50.8 microns, the curable coating composition comprising an anti-popping component (a), a film-forming component (b), and a crosslinking component (c), wherein anti-popping component (a) has from 12 to 72 carbon atoms, is substantially free of any heteroatoms, is not a crystalline solid at room temperature, comprises a mixture of two or more structures selected from the group consisting of aliphatic structures for anti-popping component (a), aromatic-containing structures for anti-popping component (a), cycloaliphatic-containing structures for anti-popping component (a), and mixtures thereof, wherein at least one of the two or more structures is either a cycloaliphatic-containing structure or an aromatic-containing structure, and anti-popping component (a) is free of any functional groups reactive with either of film-forming component (b) or crosslinking component (c),
• subjecting the coated uncured substrate to conditions sufficient to form a continuous cured film having an average film build of at least 2.0 mils/50.8 microns and which is substantially free of popping defects.