I've been coating for about 4 years and I started small with a hobby gun which I still use and a toaster oven and worked my way up to a 7'x3'x3' oven. I love doing it but it does take some talent, patience, attention to detail, and LOTS of GOOOD PREP WORK!! Prepwork is the key period... the powder and oven do the rest. Do lots of research and plan well and you will be successful at it.
Actually candies are only a 2-stage process and not really that difficult after you learn the different techniques. You don't have to clear coat over the top of a candy because a candy IS a clearcoat, it's a "color-tinted" clearcoat powder.
If you don't have a gun that has adjustable voltage then you have to be a good hotflocker, which means shooting the clear/candy on while the part is hot.
Well said... An adjustable gun along with alot of time getting the substrate prepped properly will make or break your results !
Lower voltages or hotflocking is a great way to get into cravasses, and into corners to reduce the "faraday effect" which is where the powder tends to not get into corners well due to the powder being drawn to closer other surfaces.