the paragon pmt series heat-treating furnaces

or smaller table-top kilns at electrickilns.co.uk

The Paragon PMT Kilns For Annealing, Ceramics, Glass, Heat-Treating, Knife-Making, Metal Clays, And Tools.

The Paragon PMT series kilns are industrial-quality, heavy-duty, high-temperature, table-top furnaces, usually used for annealing, casting glass and metals, firing ceramics and porcelain, heat-treating and melting metals, making cutters, dies, and tools, moulding model parts, and tempering blades, knives, and swords. They're 1290°C, four-sided, front-opening, firebrick kilns, with comprehensive, ten-segment, ramp-hold, Sentry 12-key digital programmers.

Although they're primarily used as heat-treating furnaces, you can also make bangles, blades, bowls, bracelets, brooches, cutters, dies, dolls, figurines, fingerprints, garden ornaments, glass-art, jewellery, keepsakes, knives, lampshades, model parts, mugs, necklaces, pendants, porcelain beads, pots, seasonal decorations, souvenirs, tiles, and tools.

You can try Art Clay metal clay, bronze clay, copper clay, PMC silver clay, glass clay, Accent Gold, Image Transfer Solution, Metal Clay Veneer, SilverEtch, bead annealing, ceramics, china painting, dichroic glass, enamelling, glass art, glass fusing, sagging and slumping, glazes, heat treating, knife-making, laboratory testing, lampwork, lost-wax casting, making jewellery, melting gold and silver, pâte de verre, porcelain, and staining glass. And work with many other materials and processes.

They're ideal for your arts centre, college, course venue, engineering workshop, glass works, knife-making studio, medical laboratory, metal-work business, school, or technical facility.

For prices, use the shop link below the menu bar near the top-right of any page. Prices are for EU-voltage, CE-marked kilns, with safety switches, and include professional kiln furniture, UK VAT, and UK mainland delivery. So, no other charges.

The Paragon PMT Kilns For Annealing, Ceramics, Glass, Heat-Treating, Knife-Making, Metal Clays, And Tools.

To look at the pop-up photos, hold your mouse over the zoom buttons below: you don't need to click.

Electric Kilns Or Paragon Kilns.

This comprehensive internet resource lets you research and compare kilns in your own time. There's a lot to read, but you'll make the right choice instead of an expensive mistake. The section about kiln furniture is very important.

Although there's cross-over, there are two broad groups: small plug-in table-top kilns and large wired-in floor-standing and work-top kilns. You can stay here, or transfer to the other group using the link above the menu bar near the top of the page.

The Paragon PMT Kilns For Annealing, Ceramics, Glass, Heat-Treating, Knife-Making, Metal Clays, And Tools.

The Paragon PMT series are industrial-quality, heavy-duty, high-temperature, table-top furnaces, usually used for annealing, casting glass and metals, firing ceramics and porcelain, heat-treating and melting metals, making cutters, dies, and tools, moulding model parts, and tempering blades, knives, and swords. They're 1290°C, four-sided, front-opening, firebrick kilns, with comprehensive, ten-segment, ramp-hold, Sentry 12-key digital programmers.

There are four in the series: the front-opening PMT10, PMT13, PMT18, and PMT21, in ascending order of firing-chamber size, the model number being the approximate interior depth in inches.

If you want a more general-purpose high-temperature kiln, look at the smaller Caldera-A, the medium-size Xpress-E12A, the larger Janus series, or the KM series knife-making kilns. I've included a specification table below and, further down the page, a comparison with other makes.

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.

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.

Paragon's Options And Upgrades.

The kilns in this series are described in detail further down this page. It's important to read everything carefully so that you understand what they can and can't do, and why some of the accessories, options, and upgrades might be useful. The photo shows an SC2 customised for an Art Clay and PMC studio: pink, with a RH hinge, and a maximum temperature of 925°C.

An option is cosmetic or practical, such as a pink respray, a right-hand door hinge, a peephole-vent, a bead-annealing door, a viewing window, or an EU plug. An upgrade extends the standard specifications, such as a higher temperature, a 12-key programmer, an electric kiln vent, or a USB interface.

Not every option or upgrade described here applies to every kiln in a series, so mail or call if you need help. However, if they're appropriate, they're listed in the on-line shop, so just add up the ones you want: but order them with your kiln as they're often difficult, expensive, or impossible, to implement afterwards. It might help if you make a few notes of your own?

Kilns use regular single-phase 230V mains so have 230V EU elements, not 120V US elements. The smaller kilns have UK 13A three-pin plugs: so they're ready to go. If you're not in the UK, use a plug adapter or cut off the UK plug and fit your own: it won't invalidate the guarantee. Alternatively, a special-order kiln can have an EU plug factory-fitted.

Most kilns can be re-engineered for 110V, 200V, 208V, or 240V, single phase or three phase, or 440V three phase. If you're interested, mail or call.

Although standard EU and US kilns have the same maximum temperature, set by the design and the programmer, some 1095°C firebrick kilns can be re-engineered to run at 1230°C, 1260°C, or 1290°C, making them versatile mixed-media kilns.

However, virtually everything can be done at less than 1260°C. At 1290°C, conventional kiln materials are nearing their limit so only use 1290°C occasionally rather than full-on hour after hour, unless you choose an industrial or professional model.

Also, to maintain 1290°C, some upgraded kilns might need thicker firebricks, so they'll be slightly smaller inside: about 12mm on each side. Mail or call if you're interested, or need help deciding.

The factory-set maximum temperature is based on the reliable average UK voltage of 240V. If there is a regional, national, or temporary voltage drop, high-temperature kilns might not reach their specified maximum.

BlueBird, KM, SC, and Xpress kilns are normally blue, but can be factory-painted black, pink, purple, or turquoise. However, as they're made to order, they can't be returned if the colour isn't exactly the same as in the photo.

The door hinge is usually on the left. However, a right-hand hinge might be better if you're left-handed: unless the kiln will be in the left-hand corner of your studio or there's an obstacle that will make access difficult. Give this some thought.

Most of the medium-size top-opening kilns have a standard lift-up lid. Firebrick lids seem heavy to some people so, if you feel that a ceramic fibre lid, a hydraulic-assisted lid, or spring-assisted lid would be easier, mail or call.

If the kiln comes with a Sentry Xpress 3-Key ramp-hold programmer, you can upgrade to a Sentry Xpress 3-Key cone-fire and ramp-hold programmer, usually preferred for ceramics. Cone-fire is implemented in the programmer's software and is very easy to use: just set a cone number and start the firing sequence.

Depending on the kiln, you can upgrade a Sentry Xpress 3-key programmer to a Sentry 12-Key ten segment ramp-hold, or cone-fire and ramp-hold, programmer, with advanced firing features and connection options. The 3-key has a 12-month guarantee and the 12-key has a 30-month guarantee.

A Sentry 12-key programmer can be connected to your computer through a factory-fitted USB interface. The Control Master software allows you to control and monitor the firing, and analyse, arrange, print out, and save the data. If you want this feature, make sure you order the USB interface in the oin-line shop.

Depending on the kiln, the 12-key programmer has a power-ratio programmer feature: you can adjust the heat balance between the top and sides in 10% steps and control the heat distribution over larger pieces.

Kilns which only heat from the top, as opposed to the top and sides, don't have the power-ratio feature. However, the initial cost-saving has to be offset against fewer firing options.

With larger kilns, serious glass artists are always concerned about firebrick dust from the lid falling onto their work, so you could upgrade the standard firebrick lid to a factory-fitted ceramic-fibre lid with the elements threaded through pinless grooves in the fibre: or, as a luxury upgrade, with the elements completely embedded in the fibre.

Most kilns come with a standard long-lasting electro-mechanical relay. However, if extra long-life and reliability are vital, you can upgrade to a mercury relay which has a lifetime of several million on-off cycles. The relay can switch 30A, so if you have a kiln that needs 50A, you'll need two relays.

Most kilns come with a standard K-type nickel-chromium thermocouple. However, if extra long-life and reliability are vital, especially at temperatures above 1100°C, you can upgrade to an S-type platinum-rhodium thermocouple.

Some front-opening kilns are just too large and too heavy for a regular worktop, so Paragon makes a strong steel table, 768mm x 768mm x 718mm high, with two shelves for your accessories. The luxury version, with castors, is 63mm taller. If you decide to buy on old wood table, the rigidity of the legs is vital otherwise it will collapse like a parallelogram.

Some bronze and copper clays, and some metals, need to be fired in activated charcoal granules in a stainless steel container. The SC2 and SC3, the Caldera-A, and the Xpress E9A. E10A, and 1193 can hold a one-litre container: most other kilns can hold a three-litre but check the internal size before you buy the container.

Particulates represent a health risk if they're breathed in, so wear a HEPA mask when cleaning out your kiln, mixing kiln wash, and working with charcoals, ceramic-fibre blocks, cloths, and papers. And, ideally, use protective glasses.

If you want to touch anything hot or move your kiln before it's cooled off, it's important to wear heat-resistant gloves. And, if you want to look into a red-hot kiln, wear glare-resistant glasses which protect your eyes from IR and UV.

Paragon kilns, made in the US, have been re-engineered and comprehensively tested for the UK, the EU, and most other countries. They're CE Marked and comply with EU safety standards. They're guaranteed for a year, and Paragon has an international, informed, and supportive user-base, and spares and repair centres.

The digital programmer shows degrees Celsius, not degrees Fahrenheit as in the US. If you need to convert, this is how to do it. However, if you want to work in Fahrenheit, you can make a simple change to the programmer.

In the unlikely event that your kiln develops a fault, it's reassuring to know that home repairs are easy and need little more than a screwdriver and a pair of pliers. An engineer can guide you on the phone, and there are on-line repair videos.

As with a lot of heavy consumer products made in the US but sold elsewhere, Paragon's guarantee covers replacement parts, not a return to the distributor or factory, and not any labour costs. However, as an example, replacing a programmer takes just a few minutes.

The Paragon-Orton Vent Master Kiln Vent.

Re-freshing the air in a kiln minimises surface blemishes when firing clays, ensures brighter colours when firing glasses, and prevents colour contamination when firing different glazes.

A factory-fitted Orton Vent Master removes airbourne pollutants straight away and redirects them to the outside. Most kilns can be factory-readied: the vent just needs on-site assembly.

Venting the kiln has little effect on the heat-up time and the maximum temperature. However, the cooling time is reduced considerably, depending on the size of the kiln,

The UK vent motor is rated at 230V 132W, so it can use a regular mains socket. The suction cup and pipe are attached to the kiln but the motor can be remote: it doesn't get hot and the fan is easy to clean.

There's always a small gap, for expansion, around any kiln door or lid, so enough new air can be drawn in to replace the old air being drawn out. However, peepholes act as straight-through cold-air inlets: so you might not want them?

The VentMaster can be turned on and off manually. Alternatively, if the kiln has a Sentry 12-key programmer, the vent can be plugged into the kiln's auxilliary power outlet and controlled by the programmer. The power outlet has to be fitted during manufacture, so decide before you order.

As with Paragon kilns, Orton Vent Masters can be re-engineered for any electrical system. They conform to the demanding 1992 Uniform Mechanical Code and the UL standard, and are CE Marked for the EU. They have a two year limited warranty.

The Paragon Gas Inlet Flow Meter.

During heat treatng, oxygen forms a scale on the surface of knife blades, metals, and tools. To minimise this, the parts can either be wrapped in heat-treating foil or an inert gas can be injected into the furnace to displace the oxygen.

Most professional knife makers use gas injection for precise control and to save time. If you choose to upgrade to a 12-key programmer, a solenoid kit can automatically turn the gas on or off for each segment of the firing: just programme the controller to turn on the gas at the temperature where scale begins to form on the steel.

In addition to the flow meter, you'll also need a regulator to reduce the pressure from the gas tank. This is usually bought with the gas tank: it's not part of this Paragon option. The gas pressure to the flow meter should be less than 20 pounds per square inch.

Furnaces aren't air tight and gas will leak out through the firebricks and metal seams, so you need a steady flow of gas. Gas at room temperature will expand to over twenty times its volume when injected into a firing chamber at 550°C, so a low setting on the flow meter is adequate to prevent most scaling.

Depending on how you work, gas injection might reduce the life of the heating elements slightly. However, they're easy and inexpensive to replace.

Argon gas is popular for heat treating because it's inexpensive. But, it's heavier than air, and breathing it in won't keep you alive. so your workshop must be well ventilated.

Kiln Furniture: Shelves And Posts.

Most kilns have a recommended furniture kit, an appropriate mix of shelves and shelf posts. With smaller kilns, it's included in the price because it fits in the box so doesn't really affect the shipping weight. With larger kilns, although there's still a recommended kit, it's not included in the price because you'll probably want to choose the mix.
The recommended kit isn't an expensive collection that I've put together for you: one that you have to pay for but might never use. However, extra shelf kits allow you to stack your work, optimising your use of the firing chamber volume, and your time.

What you get depends on which kiln you choose. For example: one full shelf, two half-shelves, several mixed shelves, a set of shelf posts, a bead-mandrel holder, glass separator, hot gloves, kiln wash, a knife-making rack, pyrometric cones, a tile holder, or other accessories. So, it's important to understand what's in the included furniture kit for the kiln you've chosen.

Usually, a shelf kit comprises one professional, durable, cordierite shelf and four 12mm high posts. It should stay on the floor of the firing chamber all the time in case you accidentally spill or melt anything: solidified glass is impossible to pick off without damaging the ceramic-fibre or firebrick. You don't get a soft, ceramic-fibre shelf, often described as free, that will gradually break up and need replacing.

During firing sequences with heating, holding, and cooling segments, the elements turn on and off repeatedly. In a small kiln, with little residual heat, the inevitable temperature changes can make glass crack as it expands and contracts. A thick heavy shelf stores heat and, because it's resting on posts, the air circulates, helping to even out any normal temperature fluctuations.

If you're buying your first kiln, you're probably interested in one material, such as silver clay, or one process, such as enamelling. However, after a few successes, and failures, most people want to try different materials, make larger pieces, experiment with combinations, fire more at a time, and soon become interested in something else: or everything else. Some start a business or run classes.

Depending on the material or process, and the sizes of your pieces, shelves can be stacked up on posts to make better use of the kiln space, your time, and the unit firing-cost: so you might want extra shelf kits.

If extra shelf kits are packed with the kiln, the delivery charge doesn't increase. Ordered later, not with the kiln, they need a box and protective packing and attract an extra delivery charge. Outside the UK mainland, this might be expensive. So, if you think you'll need them, order them with your kiln, along with any other accessories, materials, parts, or tools.

Although they look tough, most ceramics break if they're dropped, so it's a good idea to have spare shelves, especially if your business depends on your kiln or you're running courses.

Shelves are made from cordierite: a very tough ceramic that will last for years and years. They're checked before despatch and are wrapped protectively. But they're not guaranteed and we cannot be responsible for any later damage.

Shelf kits usually include 25mm x 25mm x 12mm shelf posts, When flat, they're 12mm high: on their sides, they're 25mm. Other sizes, up to 150mm high, are available, so you can choose the shelf spacing that suits your kiln and your work.

For dichroics, enamelling, and glass fusing, put kiln paper on the shelf to stop the glass sticking: it's simpler and cleaner to use than glass separator. Bullseye Thinfire shelf paper, probably the most popular, ensures easy separation between your glass and the kiln shelf. One side feels slightly smoother than the other: that's the glass side.

Generally, glasswork needs radiant heat and will fuse, sag, or slump better on one shelf than between closely stacked shelves, although experienced glass artists often use several shelves succesfully.

Delicate pieces can be fired on a puffed-up ceramic-fibre cloth: on a shelf. Round pieces, that could roll to one side, can be fired on a hollowed-out ceramic-fibre block.

Particulates represent a health risk if they're breathed in, so wear a HEPA mask when cleaning out your kiln, mixing kiln wash, and working with ceramic-fibre blocks, cloths, and papers. And, ideally, use protective glasses.

If you want to touch anything hot, or move your kiln before it's cooled off, it's important to wear heat-resistant gloves. And, if you want to look into a red-hot kiln, even briefly, wear glare-resistant glasses to protect your eyes from IR and UV.

If your day-to-day work depends on your kiln and down-time will be disruptive or expensive, it's a good idea to have spares: extra shelves, a selection of posts, elements, a relay, and a thermocouple.

You can learn about ceramic blocks and cloths, charcoal, dust masks, glare-resistant glasses, glass separator, heat-resistant gloves, kiln vents, kiln wash, programmers, protective glasses, USB interfaces, shelf paper, tools, and other accessories, using the accessories link below the menu bar near the top of the page. And they're all in the on-line shop.

Options and upgrades for this kiln include: an advanced Sentry 12-Key programmer. a programmer-controlled kiln vent, a programmer-controlled gas inlet flow meter and solenoid, a USB computer interface, a mercury relay, stacking shelf kits, heat-resistant gloves, and glare-resistant glasses. Keep these in mind as you read about the different kilns.

The Paragon PMT10 Kiln For Annealing, Ceramics, Glass, Heat-Treating, Knife-Making, Metal Clays, And Tools.

The Paragon PMT10 is an industrial, heavy-duty, high-temperature, table-top furnace, usually used for annealing, casting glass and metals, firing ceramics and porcelain, heat-treating and melting metals, making cutters, dies, and tools, moulding model parts, and tempering blades, knives, and swords. It's a 1290°C, four-sided, front-opening, firebrick kiln, with a ramp-hold Sentry 12-key digital programmer.

Although it's primarily a heat-treating furnace, you can also make bangles, bowls, bracelets, brooches, cutters, dies, dolls, figurines, fingerprints, garden ornaments, glass-art, jewellery, keepsakes, model parts, mugs, necklaces, pendants, plates, porcelain beads, pots, seasonal decorations, souvenirs, tiles, and tools.

The UK kiln is rated at 230V 1680W, so can use a regular mains socket. It's ideal for an engineering facility: it's robustly made, fully programmable, and hot enough to experiment.

The outer steel case measures 610mm x 610mm x 508mm high, and is slotted for air circulation: so it keeps cool. The door is hinged on the right-hand side. The shipping weight is about 45kg.

To comply with EU safety regulations, the kiln is fitted with a door switch which cuts off power to the elements whenever the kiln is opened: an important safety feature included in the price. Apart from the regulations, it just isn't safe to open a kiln with exposed live elements.

The firebrick firing chamber measures 216mm x 229mm x 222mm high internally, and heats from both sides and the back, with the fast-firing elements lying in grooves in the 76mm thick bricks.

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

The Paragon PMT10 Kiln Furniture.

There's a recommended kit, included in the price: one durable 178mm x 178mm x 15mm cordierite shelf and four 12mm shelf posts.

There's an extra recommended kit, not included in the price: one 178mm x 178mm x 15mm shelf and four posts. You can choose 12mm, 25mm, 50mm, or 75mm posts.

Depending on the material or process, and the sizes of your pieces, stacked shelves will hold more work, free up your time, and reduce the unit firing cost: so you might want more kits. This kiln has room for four.

The Paragon PMT13 Kiln For Annealing, Ceramics, Glass, Heat-Treating, Knife-Making, Metal Clays, And Tools.

The Paragon PMT13 is an industrial, heavy-duty, high-temperature, table-top furnace, usually used for annealing, casting glass and metals, firing ceramics and porcelain, heat-treating and melting metals, making cutters, dies, and tools, moulding model parts, and tempering blades, knives, and swords. It's a 1290°C, four-sided, front-opening, firebrick kiln, with a ramp-hold Sentry 12-key digital programmer.

The UK kiln is rated at 230V 3600W, so it needs a 20A wired-in power supply. It's ideal for an engineering facility: it's robustly made, fully programmable, and hot enough to experiment.

The outer steel case measures 864mm x 635mm x 584mm high, and is slotted for air circulation: so it keeps cool. The door is hinged on the right-hand side. The shipping weight is about 73kg.

The firebrick firing chamber measures 330mm x 330mm x 216mm high internally, and heats from both sides and the back, with the fast-firing elements lying in grooves in the 76mm thick bricks.

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

The Paragon PMT10 Kiln Furniture.

There's a recommended kit, included in the price: one durable 305mm x 305mm x 15mm cordierite shelf and four 12mm shelf posts.

There's an extra recommended kit, not included in the price: one 305mm x 305mm x 15mm shelf and four posts. You can choose 12mm, 25mm, 50mm, 75mm, or 100mm posts.

The Paragon PMT18 Kiln For Annealing, Ceramics, Glass, Heat-Treating, Knife-Making, Metal Clays, And Tools.

The Paragon PMT18 is an industrial, heavy-duty, high-temperature, table-top furnace, usually used for annealing, casting glass and metals, firing ceramics and porcelain, heat-treating and melting metals, making cutters, dies, and tools, moulding model parts, and tempering blades, knives, and swords. It's a 1290°C, four-sided, front-opening, firebrick kiln, with a ramp-hold Sentry 12-key digital programmer.

The UK kiln is rated at 230V 6500W, so it needs a 30A wired-in power supply. It's ideal for an engineering facility: it's robustly made, fully programmable, and hot enough to experiment.

The outer steel case measures 914mm x 965mm x 965mm high, and is slotted for air circulation: so it keeps cool. The door is hinged on the right-hand side. The shipping weight is about 170kg.

The firebrick firing chamber measures 330mm x 457mm x 330mm high internally, and heats from both sides and the back, with the fast-firing elements lying in grooves in the 76mm thick bricks.

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

The Paragon PMT18 Kiln Furniture.

There's a recommended kit, included in the price: one durable 305mm x 330mm x 15mm cordierite shelf and four 12mm shelf posts.

There's an extra recommended kit, not included in the price: one 305mm x 330mm x 15mm shelf and four posts. You can choose 12mm, 25mm, 50mm, 75mm, 100mm, or 150mm posts.

The Paragon PMT21 Kiln For Annealing, Ceramics, Glass, Heat-Treating, Knife-Making, Metal Clays, And Tools.

The Paragon PMT21 is an industrial, heavy-duty, high-temperature, table-top furnace, usually used for annealing, casting glass and metals, firing ceramics and porcelain, heat-treating and melting metals, making cutters, dies, and tools, moulding model parts, and tempering blades, knives, and swords. It's a 1290°C, four-sided, front-opening, firebrick kiln, with a ramp-hold Sentry 12-key digital programmer.

The UK kiln is rated at 230V 9600W, so it needs a 45A wired-in power supply. It's ideal for an engineering facility: it's robustly made, fully programmable, and hot enough to experiment.

The outer steel case measures 1016mm x 889mm x 711mm high, and is slotted for air circulation: so it keeps cool. The door is hinged on the right-hand side. The shipping weight is about 270kg.

The firebrick firing chamber measures 533mm x 533mm x 330mm high internally, and heats from both sides and the back, with the fast-firing elements lying in grooves in the 76mm thick bricks.

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

The Paragon PMT-21 Kiln Furniture.

There's a recommended kit, included in the price: one durable 505mm x 505mm x 25mm cordierite shelf and four 12mm shelf posts.

There's an extra recommended kit, not included in the price: one 505mm x 505mm x 15mm shelf and four posts. You can choose 12mm, 25mm, 50mm, 75mm, 100mm, or 150mm posts.

The internet is packed full with inaccuracies: accidental or intentional. There are unsubstantiated claims that whatever is being sold is the best or the cheapest or both, and it's being sold by the largest dealer or the premier distributor.

Choosing the right kiln is important: it might prove to be an expensive mistake if it doesn't have an automatic digital programmer, isn't large enough inside, has to run near its maximum temperature most of the time, or isn't very versatile. So, here are a few facts that you can easily check for yourself, based on the specifications and prices in January 2011:

Almost every broadly comparable kiln that I researched was considerably more expensive and, typically, didn't include something: a comprehensive programmer, a complete shelf set, easy-lift lids, kiln vent options, the EU legally-necessary lid or door cut-off switch, VAT, or delivery. So let's just look at what you get, rather than what you don't:

First of all, there are options: left or right-hand doors, ceramic-fibre lids, easy-lift spring-loaded counter-balanced lids, bead-annealing doors, viewing windows, peepholes, mercury relays, kiln vents, auxilliary power outputs, RS232 computer interfaces, castors, steel kiln tables, different shelf kits ... it all amounts to a much better deal.

The programmers are very sophisticated and will do everything you're likely to want to do. On the ADTSD versions, the programmer has a power-ratio feature: you can adjust the heat balance between the top and sides in 10% steps and control the heat distribution for larger pieces.

The expensive heavy-gauge nickel-plated copper wiring is covered with high temperature glass-braided insulation. The thermocouple, which senses temperature inside the kiln, is protected with a high-nickel stainless steel sheath for long life. The lid elements are in pinless grooves.

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. And the Paragon GL series all have a two-year warranty.

Running costs are low, as ceramic fibre and firebrick are effective insulators. However, in any comparison, the wattage is not the only cost-indicator: it depends on the set temperature, the heat-up time during a ramp, the number and duration of off-periods during a hold, and the interior useable volume of the kiln.

It should be self-evident that there are more kilns, and more variations of those kilns, here at Electric Kilns and Paragon Kilns than on any other UK, and probably EU, internet resource. And, if you want a 1230°C version of a 1095°C kiln, we'll often be able to get one made for you.

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

How Electric Kilns Work.

Generally, programmable kilns work like this: as soon as the programmer's sequence starts, the kiln begins to heat up. The thermocouple tells the programmer the current internal temperature and, depending on the sequence you've chosen, the programmer turns the elements on or off to control the heating rate, maintain the target temperature, or control the cooling rate. When the sequence is complete, the kiln beeps, and the sequence stops.

For safety, the programmer doesn't switch the full mains voltage. Instead it drives a relay, an electro-mechanical switch. The programmer uses a low voltage to activate the switch which turns the high voltage elements on or off.

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

This overshoot is more evident at low temperatures than at high temperatures. For example: 300°C will probably overshoot to 330°C whereas 800°C will probably only overshoot to 805°C before starting to fall back.

During the hold-time, with the elements still off, the temperature falls. When the programmer switches 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 oscillate either side of the target temperature.

Regardless of the thermocouple temperature, the actual temperature of your work will be slightly different, depending on 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, or a window. Learn to take it into account if you're working with temperature-critical materials or processes.

Remember that glass needs radiant heat and will fuse, sag, or slump better on one shelf at the bottom than between closely 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 movement, and the door could stick and the ceramic-fibre or firebricks could crack.

All kilns smell a bit during the first few firings, just like a toaster or a fan heater. If you're worried about fumes, open a window.

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.

Keeping A Kiln Log.

Using your kiln successfully needs critical research 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. Use a new page for every firing, and draw diagrams of the shelves, their vertical spacing, and the position of your work on the shelves. Along with your work, put a few scraps at different places on the shelves to learn how things change. Describe the material, the shape of your work, the firing cycle, and the end result. Add a few photos and sketches, and mark the page corners with coloured dots or symbols as a quick reminder of your success rating.

A kiln log is vital if you're experimenting with temperature-sensitive materials, or working with coloured dichroic glasses, enamels, glazes, or china paints, and a skilled artist will use the kiln log to advantage to re-create effects. It'll be particularly useful if you have to repeat a commission, or you have a long holiday before returning to your studio.

Some Paragon kilns have a Sentry 12-key programmer which can be connected to your computer through a factory-fitted USB interface. The Control Master software allows you to control and monitor the firing, and analyse, arrange, print out, and save the data. If you want this feature, make sure you order the USB interface in the oin-line shop.

Aida Art Clay Silver And Mitsubishi PMC Silver Clay.

There are two popular makes of silver clay: Art Clay made by Aida Chemical Industries and PMC made by Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, in Japan. They're both clay-like materials made of fine silver powder and water-soluble organic binders.

Art Clay Silver and PMC Silver, sometimes just called silver clay, metal clay, or precious-metal clay, are easy to fire: put your dried work on a kiln shelf and programme the temperature and hold-time.

As they're fired, the binders vapourise, releasing very small amounts of non-toxic carbon dioxide and water, and the metal powder sinters, leaving solid 999 silver: real metal, not something that just looks like metal.

Although Paragon kilns include a durable shelf kit so that you can start work straight away, several shelves can be stacked to make better use of your time and reduce the unit-cost of firing: so you might want more than one.

Although we chose to work with, sell, and provide classes in Art Clay, both makes fire in a similar way. So any kiln suitable for Art Clay will be just as good for PMC.

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

Currently, in August 2012, 50 gms of PMC Silver Clay from the UK distributor costs £144.95 plus £4.13 postage. Art Clay Silver Clay costs £122.50 and there's no postage charge. If anyone would like to comment on this, let me know and provide a reference.

To learn more, use the links below the menu bar near the top of the page. You can buy ArtClay, bronzeclay, copperclay, glassclay, goldclay, and related products in the on-line shop.

Bronze Clay And BronzClay.

There are three popular makes of bronze clay: Bronze Clay made by ClayMania, BronzClay made by Metal Adventures, and Prometheus Bronze ProClay made by Odak. They're all clay-like materials made of fine bronze powder and water-soluble organic binders. However, they're fired in different ways:

Prometheus Bronze Clay is easy to fire: wrap your dried work in kitchen tissue or ceramic cloth, put it on a kiln shelf, and programme the temperature and hold time. It can also be fired in charcoal.

Clay Mania Bronze Clay and MetalAdventures BronzClay fire in a special way. Fired normally, the surface would oxidise so, to minimize this, they're embedded in activated charcoal granules in a covered stainless steel container. Charcoal made from coconut shells produces a natural bronze colour, and charcoal made from coal produces a colourful range of patinas.

As they're fired, the binders vapourise, releasing very small amounts of non-toxic carbon dioxide and water, and the metal powder sinters, leaving solid bronze, an alloy of 89% copper and 11% tin: real metal, not something that just looks like metal.

The stainless steel container for the Paragon SC-2 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 container for the E-12A measures 265mm x 162mm x 152mm and holds 3 litres of charcoal.

The 1230°C firebrick E12A costs more than the 1095°C ceramic-fibre SC2. However, it's two and a half times larger than the SC-2 and is a versatile mixed-media kiln suited to continual high temperatures.

I can't recommend one clay as being the best. There are differences in the feel, the firing, the shrinkage, the strength, and the surface patinas, so try them and experiment: they're not expensive.
However, as Prometheus Bronze Clay is easy to fire and costs less than the others, try it first? It comes as 100gm of soft clay in a packet, or 10gm of creamy clay in a syringe with three tips that you can cut or shape.

There's also Creative Bronze, which is almost certainly Prometheus Bronze Clay renamed. I'll leave it you to work out why ProBronze is £19.75 for 100gm with no delivery charge and Creative Bronze is £24.95 plus £4.95 shipping.

Currently, in January 2012, 100gms of Art Clay Silver Clay costs about 1100% more than Prometheus Bronze Clay and PMC+ Silver Clay costs at least 1370% more. If anyone would like to comment on this, let me know and provide a reference.

So, if you're still in the learning phase, you can try out ideas before possibly wasting your expensive silver clay. However, bronze is a beautiful metal so, as with many materials, you need to exploit its qualities and try to produce beautiful original pieces.

To learn more, use the links below the menu bar near the top of the page. You can buy ArtClay, bronzeclay, copperclay, glassclay, goldclay, and related products in the on-line shop.

Copper Clay And CopprClay.

There are four popular makes of copper clay: Art Clay Copper made by Aida Chemical Industries, Copper Clay made by ClayMania, CopprClay made by Metal Adventures, and Prometheus Copper ProClay made by Odak. They're all clay-like materials made of fine copper powder and water-soluble organic binders. However, they're fired in different ways:

Clay Mania Copper Clay and MetalAdventures CopprClay fire in a special way. Fired normally, the surface would oxidise so, to minimize this, they're embedded in activated charcoal granules in a covered stainless steel container. Charcoal made from coconut shells produces a natural copper colour.

Art Clay Copper is easy to fire: put your dried work on a kiln shelf, and programme the temperature and hold time. In most kilns, several shelves can be stacked to make better use of your time: so you might want more than one.

Prometheus Copper Clay is easy to fire: wrap your dried work in kitchen tissue or ceramic cloth, put it on a kiln shelf, and programme the temperature and hold time. It can also be fired in charcoal.

As they're fired, the binders vapourise, releasing very small amounts of non-toxic carbon dioxide and water, and the metal powder sinters, leaving solid copper: real metal, not something that just looks like metal.

I can't recommend one clay as being the best. There are differences in the feel, the firing, the shrinkage, the strength, and the surface patinas, so try them and experiment: they're not expensive.
However, as Prometheus Copper Clay is easy to fire and costs less than the others, try it first? It comes as 100gm of soft clay in a packet, or 10gm of creamy clay in a syringe with three tips that you can cut or shape.

There's also Creative Copper, which is almost certainly Prometheus Copper Clay renamed. I'll leave it you to work out why ProCopper is £19.75 for 100gm with no delivery charge and Creative Copper is £24.95 plus £4.95 shipping.

Currently, in January 2012, 100gms of Art Clay Silver Clay costs about 1100% more than Prometheus Copper Clay and PMC+ Silver Clay costs at least 1370% more. If anyone would like to comment on this, let me know and provide a reference.

To learn more, use the links below the menu bar near the top of the page. You can buy ArtClay, bronzeclay, copperclay, glassclay, goldclay, and related products in the on-line shop.

Glass Clay And GlasClay.

GlasClay is made by ClayMania in vibrant colours, based on glasses from Bullseye and Oruboros. It's a clay-like material made of fine glass powder and water-soluble organic binders. It's sold as a box of twelve colours in 12gm pots.

The colours in the table below are a rough guide, and the clay powder, mixed powders, fused glass, and re-fused glass will not all look the same. They're all COE90: read this pop-up.

As it's fired, the binders vapourise, releasing very small amounts of non-toxic carbon dioxide and water, and the glass powder fuses, leaving solid glass: real glass, not something that just looks like glass.

GlasClay is easy to fire: put your dried pieces on some ceramic shelf-paper on a kiln shelf and programme the temperature and hold time.

GlasClay can be shaped easily. You can make three-dimensional objects and free yourself from the constraint of working with flat glass. The size is only determined by the support you can give it. Perhaps the most exciting opportunity is to make your own beads without a torch.

The firing temperature and time are important: glass clays have to fuse, not melt. There's a difference between fusing and melting: During fusing, the binder in the glass clay vapourises and the glass powder particles bond to make solid glass. During melting, the glass powder particles liquify and lose their original clay-shape.

To learn more, use the links below the menu bar near the top of the page. You can buy ArtClay, bronzeclay, copperclay, glassclay, goldclay, and related products in the on-line shop.

Aida Art Clay Gold And Mitsubishi PMC Gold Clay.

There are two popular makes of gold clay: Art Clay made by Aida Chemical Industries and PMC made by Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, in Japan. They're both clay-like materials made of fine gold powder and water-soluble organic binders.

Art Clay Gold and PMC Gold, sometimes just called gold clay, metal clay, or precious-metal clay, are easy to fire: put your dried work on a kiln shelf and programme the temperature and hold-time.

As they're fired, the binders vapourise, releasing very small amounts of non-toxic carbon dioxide and water, and the metal powder sinters, leaving solid 22 carat gold: real metal, not something that just looks like metal.

Although we chose to work with, sell, and provide classes in Art Clay, both makes fire in a similar way. So any kiln suitable for Art Clay will be just as good for PMC.

Currently, in January 2012, 50 gms of PMC Gold Clay from the UK distributor costs about 60% more than Art Clay Gold Clay. If anyone would like to comment on this, let me know and provide a reference.

To learn more, use the links below the menu bar near the top of the page. You can buy ArtClay, bronzeclay, copperclay, glassclay, goldclay, and related products in the on-line shop.

This internet resource is provided by Cherry Heaven, an international distributor, on-line shop, and support centre for kilns, materials, tools, and tumblers. It's not a bead, ceramics, crafts, glass, or metal-clay home-business, selling a few things to a market niche.

As it's on-line, there isn't a paper catalogue or a price list. However, you can mail or call a technician about kilns, power supplies, public area safety, a special project, business ideas, home diagnostics, repairs, or reselling opportunities.

Cherry Heaven Limited, 14 West Street, Corfe Castle, BH20 5HD, Dorset, England.

Cherry Heaven is a shop in Corfe Castle village, in Dorset, South-West England. The surrounding countryside includes green farmland, dramatic heritage cliffs, pretty stone cottages, historic buildings, sandy beaches, protected coves, open heathland, hill-top panoramic views, and peaceful villages. And lively seaside resorts. To look at some photos, use the dorset link on the front page.

Cherry Heaven is an EU distributor for US-made Paragon Kilns, and 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 only one third the area of Texas and one fortieth the area of the US.

Paragon Industries Incorporated, 2011 South Town East Boulevard, Mesquite, Texas, 75149-1122, USA.

Paragon Industries started as a family business in 1948. It's now the world's leading manufacturer of electric kilns and furnaces, and has built over 420,000. The 4,400 square metre site, in Mesquite, Texas, USA, has over 70 full-time staff. A new 1,700 square metre warehouse is under construction.

During manufacture, every kiln is checked at every stage by a technician and signed-off before shipping. They're simply but robustly engineered, and you're buying a comprehensive, versatile, safe, low-cost kiln: 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 Kitiki Studio's Classes And Courses.

The Kitiki Studio provides an Art Clay educational programme, as classes, masterclasses, workshops, and Art Clay Level 1 and Level 2 certification courses through partners. I can recommend teachers so, if you're interested, mail or call.

On-Line Shopping At Cherry Heaven.

The on-line shop link is below the menu bar near the top of the page, on the right: you won't have to create an account, register, log on, look up your membership number, remember a password, sign up, join a club, or agree to be emailed. And the total won't be more than you expected because VAT and UK-mainland delivery are included.

COLOUR	COLOUR	COLOUR CODE
Black Opal		Bullseye 90 100
Blue Grey Opal		Uroboros 90 076
Cinnabar		Bullseye 90 309
Cornflower Blue		Uroboros 90 408
Deep Cobalt Blue Opal		Bullseye 90 147
Deep Plum		Bullseye 90 1105
Emerald Green		Uroboros 90 700
Grenadine Red		Uroboros 90 606
Lemon Grass Opal		Uroboros 90 356
Midnight Blue		Bullseye 90 1118
Shaded Lawn Opal		Bullseye 90 120
Vermillion		Uroboros 90 6071

The Paragon PMT Kilns For Annealing, Ceramics, Glass, Heat-Treating, Knife-Making, Metal Clays, And Tools.