The Paragon Fusion series kilns are versatile, robust, low-cost glass kilns, for medium to large-scale work. You can cast, fuse, sag, slump, anneal functional or ornamental work, shape architectural parts, make glass tiles, produce stained glass panels, and work with other materials and processes within the size and temperature limits.

The Paragon Fusion series kilns are ideal for your home, school, college, glass-art workshop, jewellery studio, or course centre providing glass-work courses. Especially as they have a two-year warranty.

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 smallest: the Paragon Fusion 6.

The Paragon Fusion series kilns are 925°C, firebrick kilns, with easy-to-use, ramp hold, Sentry Xpress 3-key or Sentry 12-key digital programmers.

They're suitable for annealing beads, bowls, china paints, glass fusing, sagging, and slumping, heat treating, lost-wax casting, plates, shaped panels, stained glass, tiles, and batch firings of Art Clay, BronzClay, and PMC metal clays.

The Paragon Fusion series glass kilns come in seven top-opening versions, as the round Fusion 6, Fusion 7, Fusion 8, and Fusion 10, the square Fusion 14 and Fusion 16, and the oval Fusion Ovation.
There are four variants: the Fusion 14B and Fusion 16B with two bead-annealing doors, and the Fusion 14W and Fusion 16W with heat-resistant glass viewing-windows.

Other popular choices for medium to large-scale glass work are the Paragon GL and Pearl series kilns, although you can use any kiln that heats to 925°C: for example, any of the Janus series kilns. To learn more about these, transfer now to Paragon Kilns using the Paragon Kilns link above the menu bar near the top of the page.

Although the Paragon Fusion series kilns are usually described as glass kilns, they're also bought as annealing kilns, bead kilns, casting kilns, china-painting kilns, glass-fusing kilns, heat-treating kilns, jewellery-making kilns, sagging kilns, slumping kilns, and stained-glass kilns. This diversity is a good reflection of their popularity.

The Fusion 14 and Fusion 16 are more versatile than the KilnCare HobbyFuser Midi and HobbyFuser respectively: they get 95°C hotter, they're larger, and they cost less.

The Fusion 16 is more versatile than the KilnCare SG2: it gets 105°C hotter, has 458mm high legs for easy working, and it costs much less.

A 13A Fusion 8, with fewer elements, has been promoted to an innocent market: it's not recommended. It takes longer to heat up, might not reach its maximum temperature, and the set temperature could change with local voltage variations. There's a limit to the heat that a 13A socket can provide and sustain.

Before looking at the Fusion 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.

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.

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.

For many people, buying a kiln is a once-only event. A comprehensive internet resource lets you research and compare kilns in your own time. However, there's a lot to read and there'll inevitably be repetition as kilns have common features.

Although you can mail or call for help, I've separated the larger floor-standing kilns that need to be wired-in. For the Paragon Fusion, GL, Ovation, and Pearl for glass, the KM for knife making, and the Dragon, Iguana, Janus, SNF, TNF, Viking, and Vulcan for ceramics, porcelain, pottery, and stoneware, stay here at Paragon Kilns and use the links below the menu bar near the top of the page.

For table-top kilns that can use a regular mains socket, transfer now to Electric Kilns using the Electric Kilns link above the menu bar near the top of the page. It includes the Paragon BlueBird, Caldera, FireFly, Fusion 6, Fusion 7, Home Artist, SC2, SC3, and Xpress kilns, Efco Kilns, the Kitiki Mini-Kiln, and the UltraLite Kiln.

To look at larger photos, hold your mouse over the zoom buttons below. The photos are 480px x 360px and about 30KB so, if you're not on a fast internet connection, they'll take a short while to download.

The Paragon Fusion 6.

The Paragon Fusion 7.

The Paragon Fusion 8.

The Paragon Fusion 10.

The Paragon Fusion 14.

The Paragon Fusion 16.

The Paragon Fusion Ovation.

The Paragon Fusion series kilns come in five versions, as the cylindrical top-opening Fusion 6, Fusion 7, Fusion 8, Fusion 10, and the oval top-opening Fusion Ovation. They're 925°C firebrick kilns, with easy-to-use, eighteen-segment ramp hold, Sentry 3-key or 12-key digital programmers.

The Paragon Fusion series kilns have a high-nickel stainless steel sheath over the thermocouple for longer life. The firebrick bottom is fully supported by a metal base. The fast-firing elements lie in pinless grooves in the 76mm thick bricks. The Fusion 14 and Fusion 16 have twin relays for reliabilty. And the whole Fusion series has a two-year warranty.

Paragon US uses kiln model numbers inconsistently: they could be version numbers, internal dimensions, the thickness of the firebricks, or the number of sides. For the Fusion round kilns, it represents the number of sides: 6, 7, 8, or 10. For the Fusion square kilns, it represents the internal floor size: 14 or 16 inches.

Paragon US also uses kiln dimensions inconsistently: the depth is front-to-back for a kiln with a door and top-to-bottom for a kiln with a lid. But this only applies to the kiln interior: for the exterior, they follow the EU definition of depth. On all UK descriptions, the EU convention is used: diameter x height, and width x depth x height.

The kilns use Orton Sentry digital programmers. You can 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 pre-sets or single-sequence use.

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

Kilns made outside the UK have been re-engineered and comprehensively tested for the UK and Europe. They work on a regular, single-phase, 230V supply. 230V is the EU standard, although there are minor local and national variations.

They're CE Marked and comply with EU safety standards. The heating elements are either embedded in ceramic fibre, or the kiln is fitted with a door or lid switch: an important safety feature.

230V EU elements replace the 110V US elements. Although the maximum temperature remains unchanged, the EU kilns generally heat up faster: useful if you want to repeat firings.

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 320°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. Remember, your kiln is a robust, versatile, red-hot tool: not an ornament.

Working successfully with a kiln involves careful research, planned experiment, and repeated testing. It's important to learn how to creatively use unexpected effects, as things that work for your friends or teachers might not work in the same way for you. 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.

The Paragon Fusion 6, the smallest kiln of the Fusion series, is suitable for annealing glass, china painting, and glass casting, fusing, sagging, and slumping.

It's a 925°C, six-sided, round, firebrick, top-opening kiln, with an easy-to-use, 8-segment ramp-hold, Sentry 3-key digital programmer.

The UK kiln is rated at 230V 1800W, so can use a regular mains socket. To comply with EU safety regulations, it's fitted with an additional switch that cuts off the power when the lid is opened. It needs floor space as it weighs about 45Kg.

The stainless steel body stands on four legs, the top has a stay-open support, and there's a wide-view peephole in one of the sides. The electrical components, located on the front, stay cool, even at extended hold times.

The outer steel case measures 483mm x 508mm x 325mm, including the programmer housing and other hardware, but excluding the 457mm high legs.

The firebrick firing chamber measures 280mm x 166mm internally, and heats from the top, with the fast-firing elements lying in grooves in the 76mm thick bricks.

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. To learn more about the programmer, use the main-menu link below the menu bar near the top of the page, then choose programmers.

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 one six-sided 254mm x 12mm cordierite shelf, four 25mm x 25mm x 12mm posts, and a bag of glass separator.

Cordierite is a magnesium aluminium silicate that resists thermal distortion and fracture. A thick shelf, on 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.

Depending on the sizes of your pieces and the number of pieces you want to fire, up to three shelves can be stacked to make better use of your time: so you may want more than one furniture kit. However, remember that glass needs radiant heat and is better fired on one shelf rather than between stacked shelves.

An extra kit consists of one six-sided 254mm x 12mm shelf and four 25mm x 25mm x 12mm posts. You can buy extra shelf kits in the on-line shop.

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 Paragon Fusion 6 is generally used for glass fusing, slagging, and slumping. Although it can also be used for Art Clay and PMC metal clays, dichroics, and enamels, jewellery artists usually prefer small front-loading kilns, such as those in the SC and Xpress series.

The Paragon Fusion 7, the largest round kiln of the Fusion series that can use a regular socket, is suitable for annealing glass, china painting, and glass casting, fusing, sagging, and slumping.

It's a 925°C, seven-sided, round, firebrick, top-opening kiln, with an easy-to-use, 18-segment ramp-hold, Sentry 3-key digital programmer.

The UK kiln is rated at 230V 1800W, so can use a regular mains socket. To comply with EU safety regulations, it's fitted with an additional switch that cuts off the power when the lid is opened. It needs floor space as it weighs about 53Kg.

The stainless steel body stands on four legs, the top has a stay-open support, and there's a wide-view peephole in one of the sides. The electrical components, located on the front, stay cool, even at extended hold times.

The outer steel case measures 559mm x 623mm x 325mm, including the programmer housing and other hardware, but excluding the 457mm high legs.

The firebrick firing chamber measures 368mm x 166mm internally, and heats from the top, with the fast-firing elements lying in grooves in the 76mm thick bricks.

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. To learn more about the programmer, use the main-menu link below the menu bar near the top of the page, then choose programmers.

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 one round 330mm x 12mm cordierite shelf, four 25mm x 25mm x 12mm posts, and a bag of glass separator.

Cordierite is a magnesium aluminium silicate that resists thermal distortion and fracture. A thick shelf, on 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.

Depending on the sizes of your pieces and the number of pieces you want to fire, up to three shelves can be stacked to make better use of your time: so you may want more than one furniture kit. However, remember that glass needs radiant heat and is better fired on one shelf rather than between stacked shelves.

An extra kit consists of one round 330mm x 12mm cordierite shelf and four 25mm x 25mm x 12mm posts. You can buy extra shelf kits in the on-line shop.

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 Fusion 7 is generally used for glass fusing, slagging, and slumping. Although it can be used for Art Clay and PMC metal clays, dichroics, and enamels, jewellery artists usually prefer small front-loading kilns, such as those in the SC and Xpress series.

The Paragon Fusion 8, the most popular kiln of the Fusion series, is suitable for annealing glass, firing BronzClay, china painting, and glass casting, fusing, sagging, and slumping.

It's a 925°C, eight-sided, round, firebrick, top-opening kiln, with an easy-to-use, 8-segment ramp-hold, Sentry 3-key digital programmer.

The UK kiln is is rated at 230V 4800W, so needs a separate 30A power supply. To comply with EU safety regulations, it's fitted with an additional switch that cuts off the power when the lid is opened. It needs floor space as it weighs about 72Kg.

The stainless steel body stands on four legs, the top has a stay-open support, and there's a wide-view peephole in one of the sides. The electrical components, located on the front, stay cool, even at extended hold times.

The outer steel case measures 635mm x 724mm x 419mm, including the programmer housing and other hardware, but excluding the 457mm high legs.

The firebrick firing chamber measures 445mm x 280mm internally, and heats from the top and all sides, with the fast-firing elements lying in grooves in the 76mm thick bricks.

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. To learn more about the programmer, use the main-menu link below the menu bar near the top of the page, then choose programmers.

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 one round 394mm x 15mm cordierite shelf, four 25mm x 25mm x 12mm posts, and a bag of glass separator.

Cordierite is a magnesium aluminium silicate that resists thermal distortion and fracture. A thick shelf, on 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.

Depending on the sizes of your pieces and the number of pieces you want to fire, up to four shelves can be stacked to make better use of your time: so you may want more than one furniture kit. However, remember that glass needs radiant heat and is better fired on one shelf rather than between stacked shelves.

An extra kit consists of one round 394mm x 15mm cordierite shelf and four 25mm x 25mm x 12mm posts. You can buy extra shelf kits in the on-line shop.

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.

An Orton Vent Master kiln vent can be factory-fitted in the base. To learn more about Vent Masters, use the main-menu link below the menu bar near the top of the page, then choose accessories, then scroll down.

The Fusion 8 is generally used for glass fusing, slagging, and slumping. Although it can be used for Art Clay, BronzClay, and PMC metal clays, dichroics, and enamels, jewellery artists usually prefer small front-loading kilns, such as those in the SC and Xpress series.

An Orton Vent Master kiln vent can be factory-fitted in the base. To learn more about Vent Masters, use the main-menu link below the menu bar near the top of the page, then choose accessories, then scroll down.

The Paragon Fusion 10, the largest round kiln of the Fusion series, is suitable for annealing glass, firing BronzClay, china painting, and glass casting, fusing, sagging, and slumping.

It's a 925°C, ten-sided, round, firebrick, top-opening kiln, with an easy-to-use, 18-segment ramp-hold, Sentry 3-key digital programmer.

The UK kiln is is rated at 230V 7200W, so needs a separate 45A power supply. To comply with EU safety regulations, it's fitted with an additional switch that cuts off the power when the lid is opened. It needs floor space as it weighs about 93Kg.

The stainless steel body stands on four legs, the top is spring-assisted so is easy to open and will stay open, and there's a wide-view peephole in one of the sides. The electrical components, located on the front, stay cool, even at extended hold times.

The outer steel case measures 775mm x 1003mm x 419mm, including the programmer housing and other hardware, but excluding the 457mm high legs.

The firebrick firing chamber measures 572mm x 279mm internally, and heats from the top and all sides, with the fast-firing elements lying in grooves in the 76mm thick bricks.

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. To learn more about the programmer, use the main-menu link below the menu bar near the top of the page, then choose programmers.

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 one round 533mm x 18mm cordierite shelf, four 25mm x 25mm x 12mm posts, and a bag of glass separator.

Cordierite is a magnesium aluminium silicate that resists thermal distortion and fracture. A thick shelf, on 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.

Depending on the sizes of your pieces and the number of pieces you want to fire, up to three shelves can be stacked to make better use of your time: so you may want more than one furniture kit. However, remember that glass needs radiant heat and is better fired on one shelf rather than between stacked shelves.

An extra kit consists of one round 533mm x 18mm cordierite shelf and four 25mm x 25mm x 12mm posts. You can buy extra shelf kits in the on-line shop.

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 Fusion 10 is generally used for glass fusing, slagging, and slumping. Although it can be used for Art Clay, BronzClay, CopprClay, and PMC metal clays, dichroics, and enamels, jewellery artists usually prefer small front-loading kilns, such as those in the SC and Xpress series.

An Orton Vent Master kiln vent can be factory-fitted in the base. To learn more about Vent Masters, use the main-menu link below the menu bar near the top of the page, then choose accessories, then scroll down.

The Paragon Fusion 14 is suitable for annealing glass, china painting, and glass casting, fusing, sagging, and slumping, although it could be used for most materials and processes within the size and temperature limits. There's room for nine 100mm x 100mm glass tiles.

It's a 925°C, square, firebrick, top-opening kiln, with an easy-to-use, ramp-hold, 8-segment, Sentry Xpress 3-key digital programmer.

The UK kiln is is rated at 230V 1800W, so can use a regular socket. To comply with EU safety regulations, it's fitted with an additional switch that cuts off the power when the lid is opened. It needs a strong table as it weighs about 48Kg.

The stainless steel body has a low stand. The electrical components, located on the side, stay cool, even at extended hold times.

The outer steel case measures 660mm x 559mm x 356mm, including the programmer housing and other hardware, but excluding the 457mm high legs.

The firebrick firing chamber measures 356mm x 356mm x 165mm internally, and heats from the top, with the fast-firing elements lying in pinless grooves in the 76mm thick bricks.

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. To learn more about the programmer, use the main-menu link below the menu bar near the top of the page, then choose programmers.

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 one square 330mm x 330mm x 15mm cordierite shelf, four 25mm x 25mm x 12mm posts, and a bag of glass separator.

Cordierite is a magnesium aluminium silicate that resists thermal distortion and fracture. A thick shelf, on 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.

Depending on the sizes of your pieces and the number of pieces you want to fire, up to three shelves can be stacked to make better use of your time: so you may want more than one furniture kit. However, remember that glass needs radiant heat and is better fired on one shelf rather than between stacked shelves.

An extra kit consists of one square 330mm x 330mm x 15mm cordierite shelf and four 25mm x 25mm x 12mm posts. You can buy extra shelf kits in the on-line shop.

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 Paragon Fusion 16 comes in three versions: the regular Fusion 14, the Fusion 14B with two bead-annealing doors, and the Fusion 14W with a heat-resistant glass viewing-window. It can also be made with a ceramic-fibre lid, preferred by some glass artists.

If you buy the window version, you should wear glare-resistant safety glasses. You can buy these in the on-line shop.

The Paragon Fusion 16 is suitable for annealing glass, china painting, and glass casting, fusing, sagging, and slumping, although it could be used for most materials and processes within the size and temperature limits. There's room for four 180mm x 180mm glass tiles.

It's a 925°C, square, firebrick, top-opening kiln, with an easy-to-use, ramp-hold, 8-segment, Sentry Xpress 3-key digital programmer.

The UK kiln is is rated at 230V 2400W, so can use a regular socket. To comply with EU safety regulations, it's fitted with an additional switch that cuts off the power when the lid is opened. It needs a strong table as it weighs about 75Kg.

The stainless steel body stands on four tall legs. The electrical components, located on the side, stay cool, even at extended hold times.

The outer steel case measures 749mm x 610mm x 356mm, including the programmer housing and other hardware, but excluding the 457mm high legs.

The firebrick firing chamber measures 406mm x 406mm x 165mm internally, and heats from the top, with the fast-firing elements lying in pinless grooves in the 76mm thick bricks.

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. To learn more about the programmer, use the main-menu link below the menu bar near the top of the page, then choose programmers.

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 one square 381mm x 381mm x 15mm cordierite shelf, four 25mm x 25mm x 12mm posts, and a bag of glass separator.

Cordierite is a magnesium aluminium silicate that resists thermal distortion and fracture. A thick shelf, on 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.

Depending on the sizes of your pieces and the number of pieces you want to fire, up to three shelves can be stacked to make better use of your time: so you may want more than one furniture kit. However, remember that glass needs radiant heat and is better fired on one shelf rather than between stacked shelves.

An extra kit consists of one square 381mm x 381mm x 15mm cordierite shelf and four 25mm x 25mm x 12mm posts. You can buy extra shelf kits in the on-line shop.

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 Paragon Fusion 16 comes in three versions: the regular Fusion 16, the Fusion 16B with two bead-annealing doors, and the Fusion 16W with a heat-resistant glass viewing-window. It can also be made with a ceramic-fibre lid, preferred by some glass artists.

The Paragon Fusion Ovation, the largest kiln of the Fusion series, is suitable for annealing glass, firing BronzClay, china painting, and glass casting, fusing, sagging, and slumping.

It's a 925°C, ten-sided, oval, firebrick, top-opening kiln, with an easy-to-use, 18-segment ramp-hold, Sentry 12-key digital programmer. It's the only kiln of the Fusion series that has a 12-key programmer instead of a 3-key, so it offers more flexible heating.

The UK kiln is rated at 230V 7200W, so needs a separate 30A power supply. To comply with EU safety regulations, it's fitted with an additional switch that cuts off the power when the lid is opened. It needs floor space, as it weighs about 182Kg.

The stainless steel body stands on four legs, the top is spring-assisted so is easy to open and will stay open, and there are two wide-view peepholes in one of the sides. The electrical components, located on the front, stay cool, even at extended hold times.

The outer steel case measures 1448mm x 991mm x 457mm, including the programmer housing and other hardware, but excluding the 457mm high legs.

The firebrick firing chamber measures 1041mm x 572mm x 292mm internally, and heats from the top and all sides, with the fast-firing elements lying in grooves in the 76mm thick bricks.

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. To learn more about the programmer, use the main-menu link below the menu bar near the top of the page, then choose programmers.

The programmer can run and remember nine sequences, one with up to eighteen segments and eight with up to ten segments. And calculate the cost of the firing.

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 six half-oval 533mm x 394mm x 18mm cordierite shelves, forty-eight assorted posts, and a bag of glass separator.

Cordierite is a magnesium aluminium silicate that resists thermal distortion and fracture. A thick shelf, on 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.

Depending on the sizes of your pieces and the number of pieces you want to fire, four shelves can be stacked to make better use of your time: so you may want more than one furniture kit. However, remember that glass needs radiant heat and is better fired on one shelf rather than between stacked shelves.

An extra kit consists of two half-oval 533mm x 394mm x 18mm cordierite shelves, and twelve 25mm x 25mm x 50mm posts. You can buy extra shelf kits in the on-line shop.

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.

This kiln is ideal for glass studios and workshops, as the large oval firing chamber allows differently sized pieces to be fired together efficiently and economically: not so easy with round or square kilns.

An Orton Vent Master kiln vent can be factory-fitted in the base. To learn more about Vent Masters, use the main-menu link below the menu bar near the top of the page, then choose more, then choose accessories, then scroll down.

This internet resource belongs to Cherry Heaven, an EU distributor, and a sales, support, spares, and repair centre, for Paragon Kilns.

For larger floor-standing kilns that need to be wired-in, transfer now to Paragon Kilns using the Paragon Kilns link above the menu bar near the top of the page. It includes the Paragon Fusion, GL, Ovation, and Pearl for glass, the KM for knife making, and the Dragon, Iguana, Janus, SNF, TNF, Viking, and Vulcan for ceramics, porcelain, pottery, and stoneware.

To learn more about Art Clay, BronzClay, and CopprClay metal clays, use the main-menu link below the menu bar near the top of the page, then choose more from the new menu.

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 products and techniques.

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

Paragon Kilns is a Cherry Heaven on-line shop. 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, safety issues, home diagnostics, repairs, spares, a special project, or reselling opportunities.

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, glare-resistant glasses, heat-resistant gloves, digital pyrometers, fire extinguishers, kiln tables, tools, spare parts, and accessories. Alternatively, visit Cherry Heaven in Corfe Castle village.

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.