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a cone-fire programme | or tumblers at electrictumblers.co.uk |
THE PARAGON SENTRY XPRESS 4.0 PROGRAMMER |
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Before February 2019, Paragon used three programmers: a 3-key Sentry Xpress 4.0 or a 12-key Sentry 2.0 programmer developed by the Orton Ceramic Foundation and Paragon, or a Sentinel SmartTouch touch-screen programmer developed by Bartlett and Paragon.
In February 2019, two of the programmers were modified, leading to the 3-key Sentry Xpress 5.0 and the 12-key Sentry 3.0 programmer. The modifications have little effect on the basic functionality so kilns might ship with the older programmers for some time.
All three are made as ramp-hold, or cone-fire and ramp-hold. Your kiln will have the appropriate programmer although, if it has a Sentry Xpress ramp-hold, you can upgrade to a cone-fire and ramp-hold. If the case is large enough, you can upgrade from a Sentry Xpress 3-key to a Sentry 12-key or a Sentinel touch-screen.
Generally, the programmers on bead annealing, enamelling, glass, jewellery, knife-making, and metal clay kilns have one firing mode: ramp-hold. And the programmers on ceramics, earthenware, porcelain, and stoneware kilns have two firing modes: cone-fire and ramp-hold.
Unlike calculators, programmers aren't made 10 million at a time. Although they look like fairly simple circuit boards, they have embedded sophisticated pre-loaded software that has taken years to develop and refine.
HOW TO SET A CONE-FIRE PROGRAMME ON A SENTRY XPRESS 4.0 |
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Many clays come with recommended firing instructions: a sequence of ramps and holds that you enter manually the first time but re-use subsequently. However, many also include a cone number: a shortcut for the sequence of ramps and holds. It's much easier to just enter the cone number and use the pre-set ramps and holds than to enter them all individually.
However, although cone numbers are a great time-saver, you'll learn more about firing if you sometimes use ramp-hold and experiment or copy published sequences for materials that may need complicated ramps and holds.
Pyrometric cones are slender pyramids, made from about 100 carefully controlled compositions, that measure the effect of time and temperature. As the cone nears its maturing range, it softens and the tip begins to bend down under it's own weight. Ceramics are usually sold with instructions, which include the cone number.
Cone-Fire, generally used for ceramics, pottery, stoneware, glazes, china painting, and decals, fires to a set pyrometric cone number listed in the Orton cone tables. It's not designed for Art Clay, PMC, enameling, glass work, or heat treating.
Cone-Fire will only be successful if you understand how cones and cone numbers work. Unlike a programmer, a cone is a visual indicator that your work has been fired for the correct combination of kiln temperature, kiln atmosphere, and time.
If you bought a ceramics kiln with a cone-fire programmer, you can fire using cones because the programmer is set up to use cone numbers. If you have a ramp-hold programmer, you'll need to be able to convert cone numbers to temperature and time. Of course, you can't use a cone that matures at a higher temperature than your kiln can maintain.
Cone numbers were originally set from 1 to 10, 1 being the coolest. However, cooler cones were introduced from 022 to 01. To fire faster or slower than the segments listed, change the rates by 10 - 20%. However, the last segment should always be 108. The list below starts with the coolest.
CENTIGRADE AND FAHRENHEIT |
The metric system, used in the EU and most other countries, uses degrees Celsius. Celsius has replaced the popular name Centigrade. The US and a few other countries use degrees Fahrenheit. There are simple ways of converting:
Centigrade = (Fahrenheit - 32) divided by 9 then multiplied by 5
Fahrenheit = (Centigrade divided by 5 then multiplied by 9) + 32
Using the Centigrade scale, water freezes at 0°C and boils at 100°C. Using the Fahrenheit scale, water freezes at 32°F and boils at 212°F.
PYROMETRIC CONES |
Cone 022
Segment 1 Rate: 396 Temperature: 0979
Segment 2 Rate: 108 Temperature: 1087
Cone 021
Segment 1 Rate: 396 Temperature: 1004
Segment 2 Rate: 108 Temperature: 1112
Cone 020
Segment 1 Rate: 396 Temperature: 1051
Segment 2 Rate: 108 Temperature: 1159
Cone 019
Segment 1 Rate: 396 Temperature: 1144
Segment 2 Rate: 108 Temperature: 1252
Cone 018
Segment 1 Rate: 396 Temperature: 1211
Segment 2 Rate: 108 Temperature: 1319
Cone 017
Segment 1 Rate: 396 Temperature: 1252
Segment 2 Rate: 108 Temperature: 1360
Cone 016
Segment 1 Rate: 396 Temperature: 1314
Segment 2 Rate: 108 Temperature: 1422
Cone 015
Segment 1 Rate: 396 Temperature: 1348
Segment 2 Rate: 108 Temperature: 1456
Cone 014
Segment 1 Rate: 396 Temperature: 1377
Segment 2 Rate: 108 Temperature: 1485
Cone 013
Segment 1 Rate: 396 Temperature: 1431
Segment 2 Rate: 108 Temperature: 1539
Cone 012
Segment 1 Rate: 396 Temperature: 1474
Segment 2 Rate: 108 Temperature: 1582
Cone 011
Segment 1 Rate: 396 Temperature: 1499
Segment 2 Rate: 108 Temperature: 1607
Cone 010
Segment 1 Rate: 324 Temperature: 1022
Segment 2 Rate: 153 Temperature: 1112
Segment 3 Rate: 180 Temperature: 1549
Segment 4 Rate: 108 Temperature: 1657
Cone 09
Segment 1 Rate: 324 Temperature: 1022
Segment 2 Rate: 153 Temperature: 1112
Segment 3 Rate: 180 Temperature: 1580
Segment 4 Rate: 108 Temperature: 1688
Cone 08
Segment 1 Rate: 324 Temperature: 1022
Segment 2 Rate: 153 Temperature: 1112
Segment 3 Rate: 180 Temperature: 1620
Segment 4 Rate: 108 Temperature: 1728
Cone 07
Segment 1 Rate: 324 Temperature: 1022
Segment 2 Rate: 153 Temperature: 1112
Segment 3 Rate: 180 Temperature: 1681
Segment 4 Rate: 108 Temperature: 1789
Cone 06
Segment 1 Rate: 324 Temperature: 1022
Segment 2 Rate: 153 Temperature: 1112
Segment 3 Rate: 180 Temperature: 1720
Segment 4 Rate: 108 Temperature: 1828
Cone 05
Segment 1 Rate: 324 Temperature: 1022
Segment 2 Rate: 153 Temperature: 1112
Segment 3 Rate: 180 Temperature: 1780
Segment 4 Rate: 108 Temperature: 1888
Cone 04
Segment 1 Rate: 324 Temperature: 1022
Segment 2 Rate: 153 Temperature: 1112
Segment 3 Rate: 180 Temperature: 1837
Segment 4 Rate: 108 Temperature: 1945
Cone 03
Segment 1 Rate: 324 Temperature: 1022
Segment 2 Rate: 153 Temperature: 1112
Segment 3 Rate: 180 Temperature: 1879
Segment 4 Rate: 108 Temperature: 1987
Cone 02
Segment 1 Rate: 324 Temperature: 1022
Segment 2 Rate: 153 Temperature: 1112
Segment 3 Rate: 180 Temperature: 1908
Segment 4 Rate: 108 Temperature: 2016
Cone 01
Segment 1 Rate: 324 Temperature: 1022
Segment 2 Rate: 153 Temperature: 1112
Segment 3 Rate: 180 Temperature: 1938
Segment 4 Rate: 108 Temperature: 2046
Cone 1
Segment 1 Rate: 324 Temperature: 1022
Segment 2 Rate: 153 Temperature: 1112
Segment 3 Rate: 162 Temperature: 1863
Segment 4 Rate: 108 Temperature: 2079
Cone 2
Segment 1 Rate: 324 Temperature: 1022
Segment 2 Rate: 153 Temperature: 1112
Segment 3 Rate: 162 Temperature: 1872
Segment 4 Rate: 108 Temperature: 2088
Cone 3
Segment 1 Rate: 324 Temperature: 1022
Segment 2 Rate: 153 Temperature: 1112
Segment 3 Rate: 162 Temperature: 1890
Segment 4 Rate: 108 Temperature: 2106
Cone 4
Segment 1 Rate: 324 Temperature: 1022
Segment 2 Rate: 153 Temperature: 1112
Segment 3 Rate: 162 Temperature: 1908
Segment 4 Rate: 108 Temperature: 2124
Cone 5
Segment 1 Rate: 324 Temperature: 1022
Segment 2 Rate: 153 Temperature: 1112
Segment 3 Rate: 162 Temperature: 1951
Segment 4 Rate: 108 Temperature: 2167
Cone 6
Segment 1 Rate: 324 Temperature: 1022
Segment 2 Rate: 153 Temperature: 1112
Segment 3 Rate: 162 Temperature: 2016
Segment 4 Rate: 108 Temperature: 2232
Cone 7
Segment 1 Rate: 324 Temperature: 1022
Segment 2 Rate: 153 Temperature: 1112
Segment 3 Rate: 162 Temperature: 2046
Segment 4 Rate: 108 Temperature: 2262
Cone 8
Segment 1 Rate: 324 Temperature: 1022
Segment 2 Rate: 153 Temperature: 1112
Segment 3 Rate: 162 Temperature: 2064
Segment 4 Rate: 108 Temperature: 2280
Cone 9
Segment 1 Rate: 324 Temperature: 1022
Segment 2 Rate: 153 Temperature: 1112
Segment 3 Rate: 162 Temperature: 2084
Segment 4 Rate: 108 Temperature: 2300
Cone 10
Segment 1 Rate: 324 Temperature: 1022
Segment 2 Rate: 153 Temperature: 1112
Segment 3 Rate: 162 Temperature: 2129
Segment 4 Rate: 108 Temperature: 2345
Don't work on your kiln on any surface that might get scratched. Unplug the kiln. In the factory, screws are put in tightly with an electric screwdriver. When removing them, use the correct-size screwdriver. As with any screw, the wrong size screwdriver can damage the head, making it difficult to remove. And, when refitting them, don't over-tighten them in case the thread strips.