I use acetone sparingly and it works fine, as does plain ol "paint thinner". Just don't soak the shaft in either. Mek works great, but like Dave says...it's way hazardous.
Temp and humidity play a bigger part in orange peel imho. Make sure the temp is well into the 60's for proper curing, the lower the humidity the better.
Spray very very fine mist using short bursts with the can while rotating the shaft continuously. It's much better to do multiple thin coats than one heavy one. I love pretty crests, don't care much for wraps or dipping...spray paint is my method of choice. Forget the Krylon fusion, it's a bit too thick and it's final finish may be adding to the orange peel issue. I prefer just plain ol Krylon...multiple thin coats, comes out way pretty.