The Paragon BlueBird series kilns are low-cost annealing kilns. You can batch-anneal glass beads threaded onto rods or mandrels, anneal functional or ornamental work, shape architectural parts, produce stained-glass panels, make glass tiles, and work with other materials and processes within the kiln's size and temperature limits.

They're ideal for your home, school, college, bead shop, glass workshop, jewellery studio, or arts centre providing bead making courses.

Cherry Heaven TV has made a short on-line slideshow featuring these popular kilns: click the Cherry Heaven TV player above. The slideshow starts with the BlueBird, and continues with the larger BlueBird XL.

The BlueBird holds lots of beads. It can use a regular mains socket. It has a comprehensive digital programmer that remembers your settings. The heating elements are safely embedded in ceramic fibre.

If you want a larger hotter kiln look at the BlueBird XL. If you want a hotter kiln, for jewellery, look at the SC2B. I've included photos and a specification table below, for comparison.

If you need help choosing or have a specific project, mail or call. However, all the kilns are described on their own pages.

To look at larger photos, hold your mouse over the zoom buttons below. The photos are 480px x 360px and about 40KB so, if you're not on a fast internet connection, they'll take a short while to download.

The Paragon BlueBird.

The Paragon BlueBird XL.

The Paragon BlueBird XL.

The Paragon SC2B.

The Paragon BlueBird series kilns are four sided, rectangular, two-door, front-opening, table-top kilns, with easy-to-use eight segment ramp-hold Sentry Xpress 3-key digital programmers.

The BlueBird is suitable for batch annealing glass beads threaded onto rods or mandrels, annealing functional or ornamental work, shaping architectural parts, producing stained-glass panels, and making glass tiles.

They come in two versions, as the regular 650°C BlueBird and the larger 925°C BlueBird XL. The Paragon SC-2B is shown for comparison.

The Blue Bird XL is also suitable for Art Clay, BronzClay, CopprClay, and PMC metal clays, Accent Gold, Metal Clay Veneer, china painting, decals, dichroic glasses, enamelling, jewellery, glass fusing, and low-profile glass moulding, sagging, and slumping, making it more versatile. And it's the largest bead-annealing kiln that can use a regular mains socket.

The BlueBird and BlueBird XL elements are hidden in pin-less grooves in the top, and are quick, easy, and inexpensive to replace in the unlikely event of a failure. If you add and remove beads whilst the kiln is on, never get careless: kilns are very hot and connected to the mains.

The Orton Sentry digital programmers allow you to set up multiple sequences, each one with multiple heating, holding, or cooling segments: so you can choose the heating and cooling rates, target temperatures, and hold times, save the sequences, and re-use them. There are no restrictive features such as single-sequence use or pre-set programmes.

Pre-set programmes might seem to be an advantage. However, having experimented and diversified, many people fire materials, or combinations of materials, at different temperatures and for different times than are recommended.

The Paragon BlueBird XL is usually described as a bead-annealing kiln, but it's also bought as a general annealing kiln, Art Clay kiln, bead kiln, china-paint kiln, glass-fusing kiln, dichroic-glass kiln, enamel kiln, enamelling kiln, glass kiln, glass-fusing kiln, hobby kiln, jewelry kiln, jewellery kiln, lampwork kiln, metal-clay kiln, PMC kiln, silverclay kiln, or studio kiln. This diversity is a good reflection of its popularity.

For help, or in the unlikely event of a fault, you can talk to an engineer in the UK. However, home checks, adjustments, and repairs are quick and easy, needing little more than a PoziDriv screwdriver, and you can watch an on-line video or call for help. Alternatively, we can repair the kiln in our workshop at Cherry Heaven.

Compared to the US Jen-Ken Chili Pepper bead-annealing kiln, the BlueBird is 60°C hotter and over 100mm wider inside.

Compared to the KilnCare BeadCube, the BlueBird is over four times wider inside and has a built-in digital programmer. The Bead Cube has a separate controller box on a separate stand, with extra cables, and is more expensive.

Compared to the KilnCare Maxi, the BlueBird XL is 275°C hotter and over 80mm wider inside, and has a built-in digital programmer. The Maxi has a separate controller box on a separate stand, with extra cables, and is more expensive. The Maxi only heats to 650°C so it's not hot enough for most other materials and processes.

And, generally, copy-kilns don't have Paragon's international, informed, and supportive user-base, or effective EU spares and repair centres.

Before looking at the BlueBird series in detail, here's a brief introduction to glass:

The main component of glass is silicon dioxide, often called silica: found naturally and plentifully as sand. When it melts, at around 1700°C, it's like syrup on a cold day. When it cools, it forms a rigid and brittle glass called quartz glass.

To lower the melting point, and the cost of melting, chemicals are added: typically sodium carbonate and calcium oxide. Other chemicals, and different heating and cooling processes, can produce a range of mechanical properties and colours.

Chemically, glass is classed as an amorphous solid: not a liquid, as is widely believed. As it's heated, it becomes softer allowing it to be blown, moulded, poured, pressed, coated, decorated, engraved, or heat-treated.

A form of glass occurs naturally within the mouth of a volcano when the intense heat of an eruption melts sand to form Obsidian, a hard black glassy type of stone.

During annealing, fabrication stresses are relieved as the molecules cool and arrange themselves into a regular stable matrix. Successful annealing is the key to creating glasswork that will remain attractive and durable.

Dichroic glass has two different colours: a transmitted colour and a reflective colour, both of which change depending on the angle of view. For example blue-red will be blue in transmission and red in reflection.

During manufacture, quartz and metal oxides are vapourized onto the surface of the glass using a vacuum deposition process, forming a multi-layer crystal structure.

If two or more pieces of glass in contact are heated, they begin to soften and fuse together. With careful heating and cooling, the separate pieces of glass become one.

If glass is put on a mould and heated, it begins to soften and collapse, or sag, onto the mould: a common technique for making bowls and plates.

Sagging and slumping are often thought of as being the same. Correctly: during sagging, heated glass, supported at its edges, sags down in the middle to conform to a mould; during slumping, heated glass, supported at its middle, slumps down at its edges to conform to a mould.

Paragon kilns have been re-engineered and comprehensively tested for the UK, so will work in the EU and most other countries. They're CE Marked and comply with EU safety standards.

They use regular single-phase 230V mains, so 230V EU elements replace the 110V US elements. Although the maximum temperature remains unchanged, the EU kilns heat up faster: useful if you want to repeat firings.

The heating elements are either embedded in ceramic fibre, or the kiln has a door or a lid cut-off switch: an important safety feature. However, never get careless: kilns are very hot and connected to the mains.

The Paragon BlueBird is a low-cost bead-annealing kiln. It's a 650°C, four sided, rectangular, ceramic-fibre, front-opening, twin door kiln, with an easy-to-use, ramp-hold, Sentry Xpress 3-key digital programmer.

The Paragon BlueBird is suitable for batch-annealing glass beads threaded onto bead rods or mandrels, and annealing glass figurines, ornaments, panels, and tiles. It's not hot enough for most other materials and processes.

The UK kiln is rated at 230V 1500W, so can use a regular mains socket. It's small enough to use in your home, school, college, bead shop, craft workshop, glass studio, or course venue, as it only weighs about 22Kg.

The outer steel case measures 851mm x 293mm x 331mm, and is slotted for air circulation: so it keeps cool. There are two separate outward-opening letter-box style doors, each 254mm x 70mm, giving a total door width of 508mm, with a 14-place mandrel holder.

The whole ceramic-fibre firing chamber measures 508mm x 127mm x 127mm internally, and heats from the top, with the fast-firing elements safely embedded in the fibre.

The electronic display prompts for heating rate, target temperature, and hold time, making it easy to set up and re-use accurate drying, heating, holding, and cooling sequences.

The BlueBird elements are embedded in ceramic fibre, an important safety feature if you like to add or remove bead rods whilst the kiln is on. However, never get careless: kilns are very hot and connected to the mains.

The BlueBird is not hot enough for most other materials and processes, so there's no included recommended furniture kit. However, to anneal glass figurines, ornaments, panels, and tiles, you could use three Xpress Q-11A shelves.

The BlueBird XL is a bead-annealing and glasswork kiln. It's a 925°C, four sided, rectangular, firebrick, front-opening, twin door kiln, with an easy-to-use, ramp-hold, Sentry Xpress 3-key digital programmer. It's 102mm deeper than the BlueBird.

The BlueBird XL is suitable for batch-annealing glass beads threaded onto bead rods or mandrels, general annealing, Art Clay and PMC metal clays, Accent Gold, Metal Clay Veneer, china painting, applying decals, dichroic glasses, enamelling, jewellery, lost-wax casting, glass fusing, and low-profile glass sagging and slumping.

The UK kiln is rated at 230V 1700W, so it can use a regular mains socket. It needs a strong table as it weighs about 36Kg.

The outer steel case measures 826mm x 381mm x 318mm, and is slotted for air circulation: so it keeps cool. There are two separate outward-opening letter-box style doors, each 254mm x 114mm, giving a total door width of 508mm, with a 20-place mandrel holder.

The firebrick firing chamber, enclosed in an inner steel case, measures 508mm x 229mm x 115mm internally, and heats from the top, with the fast-firing elements laying in grooves.

The electronic display prompts for heating rate, target temperature, and hold time, making it easy to set up and re-use accurate drying, heating, holding, and cooling sequences.

Although the Blue Bird XL was designed for batch-annealing glass beads threaded onto bead rods, or mandrels, 925°C is hot enough for many other materials and processes. However, as you shouldn't fire anything on the unprotected floor of the firing chamber, you'll need a shelf kit:

It's very important to understand what the shelf kit consists of, why you might need a different one, and why you might need more than one:

The recommended furniture kit, included in the price, consists of two 178mm x 178mm x 15mm cordierite shelves and eight 25mm x 25mm x 12mm posts.

Cordierite is a magnesium aluminium silicate that resists thermal distortion and fracture. A thick heavy shelf, lifted up on small posts, heats and cools evenly: particularly important for glass work.

Cordierite is brittle: if you drop the shelf, it'll break. It's a good idea to have spare shelves, especially if your business depends on your kiln or you're running courses. You can buy extra shelf kits in the on-line shop.

Depending on the sizes of your pieces and the number of pieces you want to fire, two shelves can be stacked to make better use of your time: so you may want more than one furniture kit.

Remember that glass needs radiant heat and will fuse, sag, or slump better on one shelf than between stacked shelves.

For enamelling and glass fusing, you'll need to put kiln paper on the shelf to stop anything sticking: it's simpler and cleaner to use than glass separator. You can buy shelf paper in the on-line shop.

The BlueBird XL elements lie in pin-less grooves in the firebrick, and are quick, easy, and inexpensive to replace in the unlikely event of a failure. If your business depends on your kiln or you're running courses, it's a good idea to have a spare element. You can buy spare elements in the on-line shop.

All programmable kilns work in the same way: the thermocouple checks the internal temperature regularly and tells the programmer to switch the elements on or off to control the heating or cooling.

When the target temperature is reached, the elements are switched off. However, residual heat in the firing chamber allows the internal temperature to overshoot the target temperature briefly before starting to fall back.

This is more noticeable at low temperatures than at high temperatures. For example: 300°C will probably overshoot to 340°C whereas 800°C will probably only overshoot to 810°C before starting to fall back. Take this into account if you're working with temperature-critical materials or processes.

During the hold-time, with the elements still off, the internal temperature falls. Although the programmer will soon switch the elements back on, the firing chamber will initially absorb some of the new heat before the temperature recovers. The continual switching of the elements on and off causes the internal temperature to cycle around the target temperature.

The actual temperature of your work will be affected, slightly, by its position on the kiln shelf, the vertical spacing of any stacked shelves, and its nearness to the elements, a lid, a door, a bead door, a window, or a peephole.

Remember that glass needs radiant heat and will fuse, sag, or slump better on one shelf than between stacked shelves.

Kiln doors and lids are not meant to be a perfect fit otherwise, at high temperatures, there'd be no room for expansion and the door could stick and the ceramic-fibre or firebricks could crack.

Eventually, with normal use, kilns discolour slightly, inside and outside, and some firebricks might develop hairline cracks. Your kiln is a versatile, robust, red-hot tool: not an ornament.

Using your kiln needs careful research, planned experiments, and frequent tests, especially as things that work for your friends or teachers might not work in the same way for you. It's also very important to learn how to creatively use unexpected effects. So, keep a firing log:

Buy a durable notebook. Using a new page for every firing, draw diagrams of the shelves, their vertical spacing, and the position of your work on the shelves. Put a few scraps at different places on the shelves to learn how things react. Describe the material, the shape of your work, the firing cycle, and the end result.

A kiln log is vital if you're experimenting with temperature-sensitive materials, or working with coloured dichroic glasses, enamels, or glazes, and a skilled artist will use the log to advantage to re-create effects.

There are two makes of silver clay: Art Clay made by Aida, and PMC made by Mitsubishi. Although we chose to sell and distribute Art Clay, both fire in a similar way. So any kiln suitable for Art Clay will be just as good for PMC. However, remember that the BlueBird XL is hot enough: the BlueBird isn't.

If you're currently using PMC, try Art Clay. There are differences in the feel, the shrinkage, the surface lustre, the product range, the retail and trade prices, and the general commercial setup if you're running a serious business.

Art Clay and PMC are easy to fire: put your dried pieces on a kiln shelf and programme the temperature and hold-time. Several shelves can be stacked to make better use of your time: so you might want more than one furniture kit.

To learn more about Art Clay, use the Art Clay link below the menu bar near the top of the page. You can buy Art Clay, bronzeclay, copperclay, extra shelf kits, and related products in the on-line shop.

There are two makes of bronze clay: Prometheus Bronze Clay made by Odak, and BronzClay made by Metal Adventures. They're fired in different ways:

Prometheus Bronze Clay is easy to fire: put your dried pieces on a kiln shelf and programme the temperature and hold time. Several shelves can be stacked to make better use of your time: so you might want more than one furniture kit.

BronzClay is fired in a special way: your work needs to be firmly embedded in activated charcoal granules in a stainless steel container and covered with a lid.

However, the BlueBird and the BlueBird XL aren't large enough to hold the container, so you'll need an SC-2 or an SC-3. The stainless steel container for the SC2 measures 162mm x 176mm x 100mm, and holds 1 litre of charcoal.

To fire larger pieces, or more pieces at the same time, you'll need a larger kiln, such as the Paragon Xpress E-12A. The stainless steel container for the E-12A measures 265mm x 162mm x 152mm and holds 3 litres of charcoal.

To learn more about the Xpress series kilns, use the main menu link below the menu bar near the top of the page, then choose Xpress.

Although the E12A costs more than the SC2, it's two and half times larger inside. And, being 135°C hotter, it's suitable for most materials and processes, particularly those needing a very long, high temperature, firing sequence.

To learn more about bronze clay, use the bronze clay link below the menu bar near the top of the page. You can buy Art Clay, bronzeclay, copperclay, the stainless steel container, charcoal, and related products in the on-line shop.

There are three makes of copper clay: Art Clay Copper made by Aida, Prometheus Copper Clay made by Odak, and CopprClay made by Metal Adventures. They're fired in different ways:

Art Clay Copper and Prometheus Copper Clay are easy to fire: put your dried pieces on a kiln shelf and programme the temperature and hold-time. Several shelves can be stacked to make better use of your time: so you might want more than one furniture kit.

CopprClay is fired in a special way: your work needs to be firmly embedded in activated charcoal granules in a stainless steel container and covered with a lid. However, the SC-1 is not large enough to hold the container.

However, the BlueBird and the BlueBird XL aren't large enough to hold the container, so you'll need an SC-2 or an SC-3. The stainless steel container for the SC2 measures 162mm x 176mm x 100mm, and holds 1 litre of charcoal.

To fire larger pieces, or more pieces at the same time, you'll need a larger kiln, such as the Paragon Xpress E-12A. The stainless steel container for the E-12A measures 265mm x 162mm x 152mm and holds 3 litres of charcoal.

To learn more about the Xpress series kilns, use the main menu link below the menu bar near the top of the page, then choose Xpress.

Although the E12A costs more than the SC2, it's two and half times larger inside. And, being 135°C hotter, it's suitable for most materials and processes, particularly those needing a very long, high temperature, firing sequence.

To learn more about copper clay, use the copper clay link below the menu bar near the top of the page. You can buy Art Clay, bronzeclay, copperclay, the stainless steel container, charcoal, and related products in the on-line shop.

The Kitiki Studio provides a comprehensive Art Clay educational programme as classes, masterclasses, workshops, and Art Clay Level 1 and Level 2 teacher-certification courses, as well as classes for related materials and techniques.

Arts and crafts events, introductory workshops, studio open-days, guest-teacher masterclasses, and general jewellery courses, are often added. If you're interested, mail or call.

This is a Cherry Heaven on-line shop and an EU distributor, sales, support, spares, and repair centre for kilns: it's not a bead, ceramics, crafts, glass, or metal-clay shop, selling a few kilns to a market niche.

Although it's an internet resource, you can still mail or call an engineer about kilns, power supplies, home diagnostics, repairs, spares, safety issues, a special project, or reselling opportunities.

This internet resource belongs to Cherry Heaven, a shop in Corfe Castle village near the National Trust Estate. Cherry Heaven sells a diverse selection of exclusive essentials and luxuries.

Cherry Heaven is an EU distributor for Paragon Kilns made in Texas USA, Advance Kilns made in Canada, Efco Kilns made in Germany, Kitiki Mini-Kilns made in Turkey, and UltraLite Kilns made in the US.

Cherry Heaven is a UK distributor for Art Clay made by Aida Chemical Industries in Japan, and BronzClay and CopprClay made by Metal Adventures in the US, and an EU distributor for AccentGold For Silver paint and Metal Clay Veneer, both made in the US.

Cherry Heaven has been commended for an outstanding performance as one of Paragon's top-selling distributors over 2007 to : a pleasing outcome since the UK is one third the area of Texas and one fortieth the area of the US.

Founded as a family business in 1948, Paragon Industries is now the world's leading manufacturer of electric kilns and furnaces, and has built over 380 000. The 4 830 square metre site, in Mesquite, Texas, employs over 70 full-time staff.

Paragon continually monitors design and manufacture, leading to versatile, practical, safe kilns. Every kiln goes through a fifteen-step quality check, with a technician following the build, and is inspected before shipping. Paragon kilns are thoughtfully and robustly engineered, so you're buying a kiln with a future.

Paragon kilns conform to the demanding UL 499 standard in the US, and are CE Marked for the EU. Paragon is Greek for Model Of Perfection.

The kiln prices include the recommended shelf kit, and the legally-necessary lid or door safety switch where appropriate.

The on-line shop link is below the menu bar near the top of the page. You can buy kilns, kiln shelves, shelf paper, metal clays, ceramic blocks and cloths, reminder timers, digital pyrometers, glare-resistant glasses, heat-resistant gloves, fire extinguishers, kiln tables, tools, spare parts, and accessories. Alternatively, visit Cherry Heaven in Corfe Castle village.