Can anyone offer basic advice on applying clearcoat. first a light coat then a thick coat?

You need to get the current "Tech sheet" for the clear you are spraying. It is all spelled out there.

As a "general rule" you apply two "Med wet coats" But this is just a guide line, you REALLY need to get the tech sheets for the product you are spraying.

What brand and part number is it?

OK thanks, havent bought anything yet, but just wanted to get an idea. i talked to a couple people that gave varying advice on the topic.

Look for a post called "Reverse Priming" interesting technique, it somehow strayed off course and became a discussion about whether to use a tack coat for clear or not and has some pretty good info you could read. It seems like there are a lot of opinions but it boils down to the product you are using. I have noticed with the Sherwin Williams Ultra 7000 that if the first coat has orange peel that it will show in the final coat.