Paragon MagicFuse User manual

Paragon MagicFuse
Microwave Kiln
Instruction &
Service Manual
You are about to enter the magical world
of accelerated high temperature glass
firing. To safely find your way around,
read this manual. Save for future
reference.
Introduction
Thank you for buying a Paragon MagicFuse kiln. You are about to
begin an adventure in creativity. Use the MagicFuse to make fuse
d
glass jewelry of your own design. The MagicFuse uses advance
d
technology to fuse glass at spectacular speeds—all inside
a
common microwave oven.
Mastering this kiln requires practice and patience. Please begin b
y
reading the manual. The information here will save you much time
and is based on our own testing. Follow the manual and learn to
control the heat to
achieve precise fusing
results.
The two most
common firing errors
are breaking and
over-firing the glass.
The manual will show
you how to avoid those
errors by pre-heating
the glass and checking
it visually.
To expand your
knowledge of glass, visit www.paragonweb.com and select “Prod-
ucts,” then “Books & DVDs” from the drop menu. You will find
a
wide selection of recommended books that you can purchase from
your favorite reseller.
Paragon makes a large selection of electric glass kilns for the hob-
byist and professional. To make larger or more intricate pieces o
r
to fire production loads of glass, please see our kilns a
t
www.paragonweb.com.
We wish you much success in glass fusing.
-2-
IM-240/10-08
©2008, by Paragon Industries, L.P.
Checking the glass visually.

Packed with the MagicFuse
Kiln top
Kiln base
6-½"ceramicposts
Glass separator
Instruction manual
Other Supplies Needed
Microwave oven with metal interior that is at least 8" tall inside
12" x 12" ceramic tile, ce-
ramic kiln shelf, or other
heat-proof surface
Heat-resistant gloves
1" paint brush for applying
glass separator
Notebook for keeping fir-
ing records
Glass cutter
Clear safety glasses
MagicFuse Kiln Specifications
Interior: 4 ½" diameter firing surface x 1 ½" high
Exterior: 7" wide x 4" high
1" thick ceramic fiber walls
Maximum temperature 1650°F / 898°C
-3-
Safety Rules
■Do not use extension cords with the microwave.
■Wear clear safety
glasses whenever visu-
ally checking the glass
in a hot kiln. It is possi-
ble for hot glass to
break apart and fly out
of the kiln during firing
and cooling.
■Stay at arm's length
fromthekilnwhenyou
lift the top to check hot
glass.
■Fire only glass in the MagicFuse. Do not fire marbles, pre-
cious stones, ceramics, combustible materials, or metal in-
side the kiln. These materials can explode due to the very
rapid heating rate.
■Fire only fusing-compatible glass, which is available from art
glass suppliers. Incompatible glass will break, sometimes
weeks after the piece is fired.
■Wear heat-protective gloves when removing the hot kiln from
the microwave oven. Hold the kiln top and base with both
hands.
■Remove the kiln from
the microwave oven
immediately after the
firing is finished. Do
not allow the kiln to
cool inside the micro-
wave.
-4-
Wear safety glasses when visually checking the
glass in the kiln.
Remove the kiln right after the firing is finished.
Wear heat-protective gloves.

■Place the hot kiln on a
heat-proof surface after
you remove it from the
microwave. Place 3 - ½"
ceramic posts under the
kiln to separate it from
the heat-proof surface.
■Do not place a hot kiln
under an overhead cabi-
net. Keep the hot kiln 8" away from any combustible surface.
■Do not over-fire the kiln. Over-firing will damage the kiln and
is not covered by warranty. If you are not sure how long to fire,
then under-fire and gradually increase the firing time.
■After removing the kiln from the microwave, leave the kiln
closed for at least 45 minutes. Do not fire the kiln again until it
has cooled at least 45 minutes since the last firing.
■When opening the kiln af-
ter it has cooled, lay the kiln
top upside-down on a heat
proof surface. Placing the
top with the open face down
against the heat-proof sur-
face may cause heat to build
up.
■Do not leave the kiln unat-
tended around children or
pets. The kiln interior can
reach well over 1650°F (898°C)!
■Turnoffthemicrowaveifyouseesparkinginside.
■Avoid breathing dust from glass separator or ceramic fiber
paper.
■You can fuse painted glass (using paint designed for glass
fusing, available from art glass suppliers.) Painted glass may
produce fumes, so operate in a well-ventilated area. Consult
your art glass supplier for more details.
-5-
Cracks in the Kiln
Small cracks will appear inside the kiln after you have fired it several
times. Do not be concerned with these. They are normal and do not af-
fect the firing results. The kiln will make plinking noises as it cools.
This is also normal and nothing to be concerned about.
The Microwave Oven
To fire your new MagicFuse kiln, you will need a microwave oven
with metal interior that is at least 8" tall inside. After firing the kiln, you
can still cook food in the microwave. But you should clean it first. (See
your microwave manual for cleaning instructions.)
Note: Some older microwave ovens are not able to fire the kiln.
If the kiln does not get hot, try a newer microwave. Some mi-
crowave ovens heat the glass unevenly. In this case, try a differ-
entmicrowave,orfireonlyonepieceofglassatatime.
Basic Glass Cutting
Caution: Always wear clear safety glasses while cutting glass.
Small slivers of glass can become airborne.
Lay the glass
on a clean, flat
surface. Mark
off the cut with
agreasepencil
at each end of
the glass. Lay a
straight edge
over the glass
and line it up
with the marks
you just made.
Holdthestraightedgefirmlyandscoretheglasswithaquality
glass cutter (preferably one with an oil reservoir). Hold the
cutter vertically and not slanted. Press hard enough so that
the scoring noise sounds steady and unbroken. But don't
press harder than you need to.
Place the straight edge under the glass so that an edge of the
straight edge is lined up with the score line you just made.
Pressdownontheglasstobreakitonthescoreline.
-6-

Note: A quality glass cutter with oil reservoir, available from art
glass suppliers, is much easier to use than the inexpensive
cutters sold in hardware
stores. A good cutter will
save enough glass to pay
for itself.
A Fast Way to Cut Small
Pieces
First make all your score
lines on the glass. Then turn
the glass over and tap out the
pieces. This is an easy, fast
w
ay to cut many pieces.
Glass Fusing
The maximum size of glass fired in the
MagicFuse is 2" square, and the maximum
thicknessis2layersof1
8"or4layersof 1 16". Two
layers of 1
8" x 1" x 1 ½" is a good average size.
Larger or thicker projects may break from
heat shock due to the very fast firing rate. You
can successfully fuse dichroic glass in the
MagicFuse.
Note: Forpieceslargerthan1"orfor
more than 2 layers, pre-heat the glass at
50% power for 5 minutes. See your mi-
crowave instruction manual for adjusting
the power.
Sometimes a finished glass piece is
underfired and needs additional fusing. After
layers of glass have been fused together, the glass becomes one thick
mass and is more likely to break from heat shock if fused a second time
in the MagicFuse. However, you can usually succeed with a second fir-
ing if you pre-heat the piece at 40 - 50% for 5 - 10 minutes.
Fire fusing-compatible glass purchased from an art glass supplier.
Theglassthatyoufusetogethermustberatedtothesamecoefficient
ofexpansion(COE).ApiecemadefromglassesofdifferentCOErat
-
ings will likely break as it cools. Your supplier can give you the COE
rating of your glass (usually 90 or 96).
-7-
See your microwave man-
ual for instructions on re-
ducing the power to 50%.
Note: Glass of different COE ratings must be stored sepa-
rately in clearly marked containers, or use glass of only one
COE rating.
Before assembling glass pieces, clean
them with water or alcohol to remove fin-
gerprints and dirt, which may otherwise
become permanently etched into the
fired glass. A greasy fingerprint can also
cause the glass to break during firing.
Do not glue the glass pieces that you
areabouttofire.Gluebetweenlayersof
glass increases the chance of breakage. Because the kiln fires so rap-
idly, glue doesn't have time to burn out completely and discolors the
glass, especially dichroic.
Protect the Base with
Glass
Separator
Coat the circular firing area
ofthekilnbasewithglasssep-
arator. This prevents hot glass
from sticking to the base. Ap-
ply 2 - 3 thin coats with a brush,
and dry before firing the kiln.
Follow instructions on the
glass separator package.
Note: You can dry the glass separator with a hair dryer or place
the kiln base inside an oven at 200°F (90°C).
-8-
Clean the glass before firing.
Sand off a damaged coat of glass separa-
tor before applying a new coat.
Drying the glass separator with a hair dryer.

Apply more glass separator to areas where the coating flakes off or
cracks with use. Gently sandpaper the base and apply another coat.
Note: Before applying a new coat of glass separator, remove
only enough of the old separator to smoothen the surface. It is
not necessary to remove all the separator.
Shelf paper, sold by art glass
suppliers, does the same thing as
shelf separator: It prevents the
glass from sticking to the kiln
base. The shelf paper is placed
between the glass and the kiln
base. But if you use glass separa-
tor, you do not need shelf paper.
Some brands of shelf paper
produce an odor. For this reason
w
e recommend only glass separa-
tor when working in a kitchen area.
Note: Even if you use shelf paper, the kiln base still needs a
coating of glass separator.
Position the Kiln
Inside the Microwave
Firingthekilnonthemi-
crowave's food rotator tray
produces better heat distri-
bution inside the kiln. How-
ever, in some microwaves
the rotator tray jerks as it
turns, moving glass pieces
out of position. If this is a
problem with your micro-
w
ave, either use a different
microwave, or remove the
rotator tray and rollers from
themicrowave.Ifyoucannot
remove the rotator parts,
then turn the rotator tray upside-down, and place 3 of the ½" ceramic
posts that came with your kiln on the tray. If there is enough space, it
mayalsobepossibletoremovethetrayandplacethepostsinthebot
-
tom of the microwave near the rotator parts.
-9-
Shelf paper under the glass.
Removing the rotator tray and rollers.
Note: Clean the rollers
and area under the ro-
tator tray for the
smoothest rotation.
Note: Always position 3
- 1/2" posts under the
kiln inside the micro-
wave oven. The posts
prevent the kiln from
overheating the bot-
tom of the microwave.
The Firing Time
All microwave ovens fire differently. The firing time varies from one
microwave to the next, and a kiln that is still warm from a previous fir-
ing takes less time to fire than a cold kiln. A fluctuation in voltage can
also change the firing time.
Five minutes is the recommended minimum firing time. Use a re-
duced power setting on your microwave if it fires in less time than 5
minutes. This will lengthen the firing time to give you finer control.
See the microwave manual for instructions on reduced heat settings.
The easiest way to
fire the kiln is to fire a
glass piece in several
stages, visually check-
ing the glass at each
stage. Each time you
visually check the
glass, fire 30 - 60 sec-
onds longer until the glass has fused to your satisfaction. Start ou
t
underfiring a test piece, and gradually add more firing time.
Note: The glass begins to fuse during the last 30 seconds of
firing. This is why precise fusing is much easier with visual in-
spection of the glass.
Keep a detailed firing logbook to record the firing times for each
type of project. Write down the following:
Date
Type of microwave oven
Brand, color, and size of glass
-10-
Left to right: tack fuse, medium fuse, and full fuse.
Clean the rollers and track for the smoothest rota-
tion of the tray.

Pre-heating time, if any, and pre-heat microwave power setting
Power setting during firing
Firing time
W
hether the kiln was still warm from the previous firing
Firing results and what you learned from the firing
Suggested Firing Times
These times are approximate and are based on the microwave oven
w
attage.
800 watts: 6 minutes
1000 watts: 5 minutes
1200 watts: 4 minutes (Remember, use a reduced power setting
w
hen the firing time is under 5 minutes.)
Fire the Kiln
Preparation
Before firing the kiln, make sure the glass separator that you ap-
plied to the base has dried.
Decide where you will place the hot kiln when you remove it from
the microwave. Three ½" ceramic posts on a 12" x 12" ceramic tile or
ceramic kiln shelf are good choices. The 3 ceramic posts will separate
the hot kiln from the ceramic tile or shelf. The posts prevent heat from
transferring to the table or counter surface under the tile.
Caution: Avoid placing a hot kiln on Formica, wood, or plastic
surfaces. Do not place the kiln on top of the microwave to cool.
Load the Microwave
Place 3 - ½" ceramic posts in the microwave.
Center the glass you are firing on the kiln base.
-11-
Position the kiln base on top of the posts so the base is cen-
tered inside the microwave.
Place the kiln body on top of the base.
Fire the Kiln
Close the microwave door gently to avoid jarring the glass in-
side the kiln.
Until you know how long to fire the kiln, start out under-firing
the glass. Set the timer for 3 minutes or less. Turn on the mi-
crowave oven.
Open the microwave door when the timer goes off. Leave the
kiln inside the microwave. Wearing heat-protective gloves and
clear safety glasses, lift the kiln top about an inch and check
the glass. Look for only a second or two. Lower the kiln top.
Note: Wear safety glasses and stay at arm's length from the kiln
(at least 15") whenever looking at the hot glass.
If the glass needs to fire longer, close the microwave door, pro-
gram another 30 - 60 seconds, and fire again. Then visually
check the kiln again as in Step 3 above. Keep adding firing
time and checking the
glass until the glass is
done.
When the firing is com-
pleted, remove the kiln
from the microwave wear-
ing heat-protective gloves.
-12-
Wear safety glasses and stay at arm’s length when checking the glass visually.

Be careful to hold the kiln by the base. Keep the kiln top on the
base so that heat does not escape the kiln.
Note: The easiest way to figure the total firing time is to pro-
gram a longer firing than is needed. Then subtract the time
shown in the display at the end of the firing from the time en-
tered at the beginning. Example: Enter 10 minutes at the be-
ginning. The timer shows 4 minutes, 30 seconds when you re-
move the kiln from the microwave. 10 - 4 minutes, 30 seconds
= 5 minutes, 30 seconds total firing time.
Caution: Always remove the kiln after firing is finished. Leav-
ing a hot kiln inside the microwave to cool would cause the mi-
crowave to overheat since the heat released from the kiln
would build up in the enclosed space.
Cooling the Kiln
Place the kiln on top of 3 - ½" ce-
ramic posts that are on a
heat-proof surface such as a ce-
ramic tile. Allow the kiln to cool for
at least 45 minutes before lifting
the kiln top.
Caution: Do not speed up the
cooling by lifting the kiln top
or using a fan. Allow the closed
kiln to cool for 45 minutes.
Opening the kiln too soon could crack glass pieces from ther-
mal shock. The larger the glass, the longer it takes to cool be-
fore opening the kiln.
Note: While you wait for
the kiln to cool, cut and
assemble the next pieces.
When opening the kiln af-
ter it has cooled, lay the kiln
top upside-down on a
heatproof surface. Placing the
top with the open face down
against the heat proof surface
may cause heat to build up.
-13-
Place 3 ceramic posts between the kiln
and a heat-proof surface.
Place the warm top upside-down after removing
the glass from the base.
Sample Pendant Project
After firing, the pendant is done. You do not need to glue a jewelr
y
finding to the back, because the design includes a channel that is
fused into the glass where you can string a cord or chain. Use glass tha
t
is rated fusing compatible.
Note: This delicate pendant requires a microwave oven that
does not vibrate during operation.
Vibration will cause the top piece of
glass to move out of place. It may be
necessary to remove the micro-
wave rotator tray.
Cut 2 pieces of 3
4"x11 2" glass.
With scissors or razor blade, cut a
strip of 1
8" thick fiber shelf paper
to form the channel for the cord
or chain. Size: 1
8"thickx1 8"widex
1" long.
Clean fingerprints from the glass.
Then handle only by the edges.
Lay the fiber paper across one
piece of glass so that it is parallel
with the 3
4"sideand3 8"fromthe
edge.
Gently lay the second piece of
glass over the first.
Sprinkle broken pieces of dichroic
glass over the top piece of glass.
Load the piece onto the
MagicFuse kiln base. (The base
must first be coated with glass
separator.)
Firetheglassuntiltheglass
pieces have fused together and
thetoppiecehascurledaround
thefiberpaperscrap.Stopthefir
-
ing before the dichroic glass flat-
-14-

tens into the surface. This particular piece should receive only
a light-to-medium fuse.
Allow the kiln to cool for at least 45 minutes.
When the glass is cool enough to touch, remove the fiber paper
with a tooth pick and thread a cord or chain into the channel.
Glass Troubleshooter
Points on the edges of the glass
The glass was fired too hot. Grind
the edges of the glass with a sheet of
fine sandpaper or emery cloth. Lay the
sandpaper on a flat surface and rub the
glass over the sandpaper.
Cracks
Thepiecewastoolargeorhadtoo
m
any layers. Or you fired a piece a sec-
o
nd time. Next time, fire smaller
pieces, pre-heat the glass, or fire at a
lower heat setting on your microwave
oven.
The glass was removed too soon
f
rom the kiln. Allow the glass to cool at
least 45 minutes before lifting the kiln
top and removing the piece.
The glass pieces that fused together
a
re incompatible. This means they expanded and contracted during
firing at different rates. Buy glass that is rated fusing compatible from
an art glass supplier.
Maintenance Instructions
Repairing Cracked or Flaked Black Coating
To repair the silicon carbide coating, you will need the coating
(available from Paragon), sandpa-
per, and a 1” paint brush.
Lay the kiln top on its side.
Sand the black coating on the
inner surface with a piece of
sandpaper. Rotate the kiln top
as you sand. You do not need
to remove all the coating.
-15-
Removing pointed corners from the
glass.
Sand until the interior is
white to gray in color.
Apply a new coat with a 1"
paint brush.
Apply a second coating after
24 hours.
Allow the kiln to dry com-
pletely before firing.
Removing Embedded
Glass from the Kiln
Hot glass can break during
firing and fly against the kiln
top and base. After the kiln
cools, remove the embedded
glass. If necessary, dig the glass
out of the ceramic fiber using a
pocketknife. Repairing small
low spots in the fiber is usually
not necessary.
Repairing Gouges in the Ceramic Fiber Base
Turnthebaseup-
side-downonasheetof
sandpaper and rub in a cir-
cular motion. Remove as lit-
tlematerialaspossiblefrom
the base. Then recoat the
base with glass separator.
-16-
Use a pocket knife to remove embedded glass
from the base.
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Sanding the base to remove minor gouges.