Who has done their own powder coating ?, thinking about a new toy..... Options

[jsteele22]

I've read up a little on powdercoating, and it sounds like it would be real handy to be able to do myself. I know a few of you folks have done it, so I wanted to ask :

1) How bad is the smell (while curing) ? I'm thinking of doing smaller parts in a small electric oven indoors, but under a dedicated vent hood. Sound reasonable ?

2) What does it smell like ? Burning plastic ?

3) Does the smell really linger afterwards, or does it go away with decent air circulation ?

4) How satisfied are you with your results ? Did it take much practice before parts came out looking acceptable ?

5) I'm planning (if I do this) to get the Chicago Electric (Harbor Freight) unit. I know their stuff is crap, but don't plan on using it all that often. Anybody have good/bad experiences with this unit ?