Paragon Glass Kiln User manual

1
Beadmaking, Glassblowing,
Fusing and Glass Kiln
Manual
Sundance
Glass

Introduction
Thank you for choosing this kiln! We have designed it to
give you many years of reliable service.
Please read this manual. It will help you gain the maximum
enjoyment from your kiln. It will show you how to avoid damag-
ing the kiln and will answer many questions. Your instruction
packet also includes a separate digital controller manual. Please
save both manuals.
Inspect the kiln. When you receive your kiln, check the carton
for damage (crushed, holes, etc.). Check the kiln for both inte-
rior and exterior damage. If the kiln is damaged, you can refuse
the shipment and have it returned, or accept the shipment after
having the driver note the damage on the Bill of Lading.
Check the Bill of Lading to insure that you received the correct
number of packages. Note any shortages on the Bill of Lading,
and have the driver sign the copy.
If there were no signs of visible kiln damage and you discover it
after the driver has left, notify the shipper immediately.
Save the shipping carton. It was carefully designed to pro-
vide maximum protection during shipping. Use the carton to
take the kiln to seminars or on vacation, or to return the kiln to
the factory for repairs.
Needless worries. Tremendous stresses are generated
within the kiln. The ceramic fiber firing chamber actually ex-
pands and contracts with each firing. Do not be concerned if
small cracks appear in the fiber. This is normal. These are sur-
face cracks that close tightly when the heated fiber expands. You
may find a small pin hole in the center of the firing chamber. It
is from the manufacturing process and will not affect the kiln’s
performance.
The paint around the door will eventually discolor from heat.
This, again, will not affect the kiln’s performance.
During firing, you will hear an intermittent, distinct clicking.
This is the sound of the relay(s) sending power to the heating
elements. Do not be concerned with this sound.
The Electrical data plate. Im-
portant information about your
kiln is recorded on its electrical
data plate. Please include this in-
formation when ordering parts or
calling your dealer or the factory
about your kiln.
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Contents
Safety 3
Setting Up the Kiln 4
Electrical Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Where to Locate the Kiln . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Transporting the Kiln . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Basic Operation 5
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Important Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Loading the Kiln . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Venting the Kiln . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Silver & Gold Clay 8
Drying Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Loading the Kiln . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Venting the Kiln . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Rate, Temperature and Hold . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Cooling Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Combining Silver Clay
With Other Materials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Glass Fusing & Slumping 10
How to Cut Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Fusing Compatibility of Glass . . . . . . . . . . 10
The Annealing Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Cleaning and Gluing the Glass . . . . . . . . . 11
Loading the Kiln . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Firing the Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Enameling on Metal 12
Preparing the Copper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Decorating the Copper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Firing Enamel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Ceramic Overglaze 13
Pyrometric Cones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Loading and Firing Overglaze. . . . . . . . . . 13
Lost Wax Burnout 14
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
A Sample Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Burnout Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Firing Mistakes 15
Silver Clay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Ceramic Overglaze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Kiln Maintenance 17
Trouble-Shooter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Door Latch Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Ceramic Fiber Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Cleaning or Replacing Glass View Port . . 17
Replacing the Thermocouple . . . . . . . . . . 18
Replacing a Relay or Transformer . . . . . . 18
Replacing the Temperature Controller . . . 19
Replacing the Firing Chamber
(testing the element) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
©2001,IM-164/1-02

Safety Overfiring
The warranty on your kiln does
not cover damage from overfiring,
regardlessofthecircumstances.Itisthe
operator’s responsibility to make sure
the kiln turns off at the proper time.
The Ceramic Fiber
Avoid touching the firing chamber
surface with sharp or pointed objects.
They can damage the fiber surface.
Touching the embedded heating
element with sharp or pointed objects is
a shock hazard.
Read the Manual!
Read each page of this manual in detail
before operating your kiln. Warranty
does not cover damage caused by
failure to follow instructions.
Food or Drink Surfaces
Some decorative materials may be
unsafe and toxic when used for surfaces
that will be in contact with food or drink.
When you make food or drink
containers, select a glaze or glass that
has been formulated, tested and labeled
as approved for surfaces that will be in
contact with food or drink. Follow the
glaze or glass manufacturer’s
instructions exactly, without any
variations.
Important Safety Rules
An electric kiln is extremely safe to operate provided you
follow these basic safety rules:
GUnplug kiln when not in use.
GDo not touch hot sides.
GKeep unsupervised children away.
GPlace kiln on a non-combustible surface.
GDo not install closer than 12” from any wall
or combustible surface.
GFire only in a well ventilated, covered and
protected area.
GKeep cordset away from hot sides of kiln.
GDANGEROUS VOLTAGE: Do not touch
heating elements with anything.
GDisconnect kiln before servicing.
GDo not leave kiln unattended while firing.
GWear safety glasses when cutting glass.
GWearfiringsafety glasses when looking into
a hot kiln.
GKeep food away from your work area.
GNever fire tempered glass inside a kiln. It
could explode.
GAvoid firing toxic materials inside the kiln,
suchasstyrofoam(usedas acorefor hollow
beads).
GKilnswiththeglassviewport:donotfirethe
kilnhotterthan1700°F/926°C.Firinghotter
will damage the glass.
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Setting Up the Kiln
Electrical Installation
Youmustplugyourkilnintoacircuitthatnootherappli-
anceuseswhilethekilnisfiring.Turnoffthecircuitbreaker
or unscrew the fuse for the circuit that your kiln will be
pluggedinto.Checktosee
ifotherappliancesshutoff
too. If that circuit powers
appliances that must re-
main on while the kiln is
firing,plugyourkilnintoa
different circuit.
Note: 120 volt kilns:
avoidextension cords
if possible. If you
must use one, never
use one smaller than
12 gauge and longer
than 20 feet. Never
plug it into a ceiling
outlet!
Voltage fluctuation can vary firing time from as little as
halftomore than twice theaverage time.If the voltageis too
low, the kiln may never reach full temperature.
The receptacle must have a separate safety grounding
wire. This protects you from serious electrical shock.
Changing the cord plug will void your warranty!
Where to Locate the Kiln
1Placeyourkilninawellventilated,coveredandpro-
tected area such as the garage, basement, utility or
hobby room.
Note: Somepeople keeptheirkilnoutsideonacov-
eredpatio.Thisisokaysolongasthekilnisnotsub-
jected to excessive humidity. We recommend good
ventilation.However, somematerials,suchassilver
clay, may not need special ventilation.
2Remove gasoline, paint, and other flammable
materials from the kiln room.
3Providea minimumof12inchesclearancebetween
kiln and the closest wall.
4Never allow the room temperature of your firing
roomtoexceed 100-110°F.Measure thetempera-
tureabout3feetfromthekiln.Ifnecessary,usefans
to lower room temperature.
5Keepthekilnawayfromcurtainsorothercombusti-
ble materials.
6Position kiln on a level, fire-proof surface. We rec-
ommendan18”x18”pieceofsheetmetaloralarge
ceramic kiln shelf.
Note: Ifyouare with the kilnat alltimes duringfir-
ing, you can place it directly onto a workbench or
kitchen table. A fire-proof surface is ideal, though,
becauseitprovidesasafeplacetolayhotshelvesre-
moved from the kiln.
7Keep unsupervised children away.
8Keepthepowersupplycordawayfromthekilncase.
There is little danger of serious burn from accidental
contact if you exercise the same caution you would use with
an electric iron.
Transporting the Kiln
Some people take their kilns to seminars or on vacation.
The easiest way to transport the kiln is to use the original
packing materials.
Ifyounolongerhavethepackingmaterials,transportthe
kilnonits back with thedoor facingup. Placea thinsheet of
foamcushioningbetweenthedoorandthefiringchamberto
prevent rubbing. Avoid subjecting the kiln to excessive vi-
bration during travel.
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Place the kiln on a fire-proof surface, such as a large ceramic kiln shelf.

Basic Operation
Accessories
Ceramic Fiber Shelves
The soft ceramic fi-
ber shelf, which comes
standard with the kiln,
cradles gold and silver
clay pieces. These
shelves are not suitable
for firing glass or ce-
ramics.
Ceramic Fireclay Shelves & Posts
Ceramic fireclay
shelves, available from
Sundance are hard ce-
ramic surfaces on
which to fire ceramics
and glass. Firing glass,
enameling,andceramic
glazes directly on the
firing chamber bottom
would ruin the bottom.
Shelves can be stacked
using posts.
Glass Separator & Kiln Wash
Glass separator and
kilnwash are mixtures of
finely ground minerals
that will not melt and
fuse together at high
temperatures. They pre-
vent glass and ceramic
glaze from sticking to
fireclay shelves. The
main difference between
glass separator and kiln
wash is that the separator is ground more finely to leave a
smooth back to glass pieces laid on the shelf.
Aspowders,glassseparatorandkilnwashhaveanunlim-
ited shelf life. Do not breathe the powder when mixing.
Caution: If glass separator or kiln wash contact a
heating element, that element will burn out in the
next firing. NEVER apply glass separator or kiln
wash to the ceramic fiber firing chamber.
Haik Brush
The haik brush is used to apply
glass separator to the kiln shelf in a
smooth, thin layer. The smoother
the glass separator, the smoother
the underside of the glass.
Alumina Hydrate
Delicatesilverorgoldclayshapesmayneedextrasupport
duringfiringtopreventwarping.Placetheseshapesinathin
layerofaluminahydrateinsideasmallceramicbisquebowl.
Do not breathe alumina hydrate.
Stilts
Stiltsarepoints embedded ina ceramicbase. Thepoints
separate enameling and glazed ceramics from the shelf.
Enameling Racks
Enamelingisthe artoffiringglassontometal.The metal
shapes are loaded onto a high temperature wire rack. The
enameled pieces and wire rack are loaded into a hot kiln,
fired for just a few minutes, and removed red hot. To load
and unload the racks safely, use an enameling fork.
The heating element under power is dangerous. Do not
touch the element with anything! Turn the kiln switch off
beforeinsertinganenamelingforkintothefiringchamber.
Fiber Repair Filler
Thisisapermanent,hightemperaturerefractorycement
used to repair holes or cracks in the ceramic fiber firing
chamber.
Safety Glasses
Wear clear safety glasses
when cutting or chipping glass.
Wear firing safety glasses when
looking into a hot kiln, such as
when checking the progress of
glass.
Caution: Always wear fir-
ing glasses when viewing
the interior through the optional glass view port.
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The wire mesh above is referred to as an enameling rack. An enameling
fork lifts the rack out of the kiln. A stilt separates the piece from the rack.