The Paragon SC2 series kilns are versatile, robust, low-cost, jewellery kilns. You can fire metal clays, fuse glass, anneal glass beads, do enamelling, melt silver, heat-treat metals, and work with many other materials and processes.

They're ideal for your home, school, college, craft workshop, jewellery studio, or arts centre providing jewellery 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 Paragon SC-1, and continues with the larger SC2 and SC3 variants.

The Paragon SC-2 heats to 1095°C: hotter than a typical enamelling kiln or a glass-fusing kiln. It's rated at 230V 1745W, so 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. And it's probably the most popular kiln in the UK.

If you want a larger kiln look at the SC-3. If you want a hotter kiln, for ceramics, look at the Caldera-A. If you want a larger hotter kiln look at the Xpress E12A. 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 60KB so, if you're not on a fast internet connection, they'll take a short while to download.

The Paragon SC2.

The Paragon SC2B.

The Paragon SC2W.

The Paragon SC2BW.

The Paragon SC1.

The Paragon SC3.

The Paragon Caldera-A.

The Paragon Xpress E-12A.

The Paragon SC-2 series kilns are 1095°C, four sided, square, ceramic-fibre, front-opening kilns, with easy-to-use, ramp hold, Sentry Xpress 3-key digital programmers. The Paragon SC2 is probably the most popular kiln in the UK.

They come in four versions, as the regular SC2, the SC2B with a bead annealing door, the SC2W with a heat-resistant glass viewing-window, and the SC2BW with a bead-annealing door and a heat-resistant glass viewing-window. The smaller SC1, the larger SC3, SC3B, SC3W, and SC3BW, the hotter Caldera A, and the larger and hotter Xpress E12A are included for comparison.

They're suitable for Art Clay, BronzClay, CopprClay, and PMC metal clays, Accent Gold, Metal Clay Veneer, china paints, glass-bead annealing, applying decals, dichroic glasses, enamelling, jewellery, lost-wax casting, low-fire ceramics, glass fusing, and small-scale glass sagging and slumping.

The SC series kilns heat from both sides, not from both sides and the back. This minimises the front-to-back temperature difference that's common with smaller kilns.

The SC series elements are embedded in ceramic fibre, an important safety feature if you like to open the door or bead door whilst you work. However, 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.

It's widely believed that glass viewing-windows will cloud permanently or crack by about 925°C. The glass used in the Paragon Caldera, FireFly, SC, and Xpress series kilns has been time-tested at 1260°C.

Although there's cross-over, 1095°C front-opening ceramic-fibre kilns that heat and cool quickly, such as those in the SC series, are preferred for Art Clay and PMC metal clays, dichroic glass, enamelling, and mixed-media jewellery.

And 1290°C top-opening firebrick kilns that heat and cool evenly, such as those in the Caldera and FireFly series, are preferred for ceramics, porcelain, pottery, and stoneware, especially as firebrick kilns are better suited to continual high temperatures.

The Paragon SC series kilns are usually described as jewellery-making kilns, but they're also bought as annealing kilns, Art Clay kilns, bead kilns, bronze-clay kilns, copper-clay kilns, dichroic-glass kilns, enamel kilns, enamelling kilns, glass kilns, glass-fusing kilns, hobby kilns, jewellery kilns, jewelry kilns, lampwork kilns, metal clay kilns, PMC kilns, silverclay kilns, small kilns, or studio kilns. This diversity is a good reflection of their 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.

The Paragon SC-2 costs less than the Evenheat E-360 and the Sierra. And copy-kilns don't have Paragon's international, informed, and supportive user-base, or effective spares and repair centres.

The Paragon SC-2 is more versatile than the KilnCare EN1. It's nearly twice as large inside and gets 95°C hotter. It has a built-in programmer, whereas the EN1 needs a separate programmer making it more expensive.
The SC2 has a side-opening door: the EN1 has a top-opening door. It's easier to take a peek through a side-opening door, and less heat is lost. The SC2W door includes a 50mm x 50mm heat-resistant glass viewing-window: the EN1 just has a tiny peephole.

The Paragon SC-2B is more versatile than the KilnCare Bead Cube. It's nearly twice as large inside and gets 175°C hotter. It has a built-in programmer, whereas the BeadCube needs a separate programmer making it more expensive.

The Paragon SC2 and SC3 are large enough to accommodate the charcoal-filled stainless steel container needed to fire BronzClay and CopprClay, both described further down this page.

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.

A sheathed thermocouple replaces the normal US bead-style. It prevents the possible corrosion, and eventual failure, of the bi-metallic tip: usually caused by gases produced whilst heating some types of glass.

A lever door catch replaces the normal ball catch. The ball catch was difficult to adust, being either too tight or too loose, whereas the lever catch can easily be tightened, loosened, bent slightly, or removed and straightened, to allow for use and preference.

The Paragon SC-2 is a low-cost home-business kiln. It's a 1095°C, four-sided, square, ceramic-fibre, front-opening kiln, with with an easy-to-use, ramp-hold, Sentry Xpress 3-key digital programmer.

The Paragon SC2 is suitable for Art Clay, BronzClay, CopprClay, and PMC metal clays, Accent Gold, Metal Clay Veneer, china paints, glass-bead annealing, applying decals, dichroic glasses, enamelling, jewellery, lost-wax casting, low-fire ceramics, glass fusing, and small-scale glass sagging and slumping.

The UK kiln is rated at 230V 1745W, so it can use a regular mains socket. It's small enough to use in your home, school, craft workshop, jewellery studio, or take to a course venue, as it only weighs about 16Kg.

The outer steel case measures 336mm x 311mm x 400mm, and is slotted for air circulation: so it keeps cool. The door opens 180°, so you won't burn your hand taking your work out. And there's a top vent for lost-wax casting and other processes that might release fumes.

The ceramic-fibre firing chamber, enclosed in an inner steel case, measures 199mm x 204mm x 145mm internally, and heats from both sides, with the fast-firing elements safely embedded in the fibre.

Uniquely, our UK SC-2 kiln has a sheathed thermocouple which prevents the possible corrosion, and eventual failure, of the bi-metallic tip: usually caused by gases produced whilst heating some types of glass.

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.

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 139mm x 139mm x 6mm ceramic-fibre shelf for Art Clay and PMC: they're not sticky or temperature critical.

However, to work with china paints, dichroics, enamels, or glass, you'll need a thick heavy shelf and four shelf posts. These come as an extra kit: one 178mm x 178mm x 15mm cordierite shelf and four 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, three 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 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 kiln paper, ensures easy separation between your glass and the kiln shelf. One side feels slightly smoother than the other: that's the glass side. You can buy shelf paper in the on-line shop.

The Paragon SC-2B door includes a 165mm x 64mm bead-anealing letter-box style door and a bead-mandrel holder. Otherwise, it's the same as the SC2.

The Paragon SC-2W door includes a 50mm x 50mm heat-resistant glass viewing-window. Otherwise, it's the same as the SC2.

The Paragon SC-2BW door includes a 165mm x 64mm bead-anealing letter-box style door, a bead-mandrel holder, and a 75mm x 25mm heat-resistant glass viewing-window. Otherwise, it's the same as the SC2.

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.

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.

The stainless steel container for the SC2 measures 162mm x 176mm x 100mm, and holds 1 litre of charcoal. The SC-1 isn't large enough to hold the container.

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.

The stainless steel container for the SC2 measures 162mm x 176mm x 100mm, and holds 1 litre of charcoal. The SC-1 isn't large enough to hold the container.

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.