Paragon Caldera Instruction & Service Manual
Introduction Thank you for choosing a Paragon Caldera kiln! We have designed it to give you many years of reliable service. Contents Setting Up the Kiln . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Electrical Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Seating the Elements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Where to Locate the Kiln . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Please read this manual. It will help you gain the most enjoyment from your Caldera kiln.
Safety Important Safety Rules Overfiring The warranty on your Paragon kiln does not cover damage from overfiring, regardless of the circumstances. It is the operator’s responsibility to make sure the kiln turns off at the proper time. 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.
Setting Up the Kiln Electrical Installation You must plug your kiln into a circuit that no other appliance uses while the kiln is firing. Turn off the circuit breaker or unscrew the fuse for the circuit that your kiln will be plugged into. Check to see if other appliances shut off too. If that circuit powers appliances that must remain on while the kiln is firing, plug your kiln into a different circuit. Note: 120 volt kilns: avoid extension cords if possible.
Basic Operation Accessories Ceramic Shelves & Posts Shelves and posts are fireclay that has been fired to a higher temperature than will be encountered in your kiln. Ware is placed on the shelves. She lve s c a n be stacked using posts. Enameling Racks Enameling is the art of firing glass onto metal. 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.
sume that the firing chamber is cold. On digital kilns, this will result in an over-fire. When loading the kiln, check that the rod extends into the firing chamber by 1” or more. Vacuum the Kiln Clean the kiln interior before firing glass, enameling, or ceramic glaze. (Cleaning is not necessary when firing silver or gold clay.) Use a soft brush nozzle on a vacuum cleaner. Vacuum the element grooves to remove debris, which could damage the element.
sive-coated mesh that allows residue to pass through. You could also use coarse sandpaper. Removing the old coating gives you a smooth surface to start with. Then recoat the shelf using the following directions. (Both glass separator and kiln wash will be referred to as “separator.”) Caution: Keep separator away from the elements. 1 Mix the separator with water following the directions on the bag. Stir. 2 Use a haik brush or a soft paint brush to apply the separator to the shelf.
2 Hold the straight edge firmly and score the glass with the glass cutter. Press just hard enough so that the scoring noise sounds steady and unbroken. on the side of caution if you aren’t sure how long to anneal. Small projects such as earrings rarely need annealing time as they cool. 3 Place the straight edge under the glass so that an edge is lined up with the score line you just made. Press down on the glass. It will break cleanly.
Annealing Flame-Worked Glass Beads Glass is sensitive to breakage as it cools through the annealing range. This is approximately 950°F/510°C through 700°F/371°C. The larger the piece, the slower it must cool. To safely cool flame-worked glass beads, anneal them in your kiln using the optional Bead Collar. To look at the glass during firing, move the top slightly. Look inside the kiln for a second or two. Wear firing safety glasses and gloves. slightly.
Enameling on Metal How to Load the Kiln 1 Remove the top. Place several ½” posts on the floor of the kiln. 2 Lay a wire enameling rack on top of the posts. If the enameled piece is bare on the back, place the piece directly onto the rack. If the back side of the piece is enameled, support the piece with a stilt on top of the rack. 3 Lower the top onto the kiln and fire. (See firing instructions, page 11.) 4 To remove the piece, turn off the power.
coat after firing. But a coat that is too thick will bubble and crack. The enamel must dry completely before firing. Spatula or Inlaid Method You can use this method to decorate a small area with many different colors. Using a diluted solution of Thompson holding agent, dampen the enamels just to the saturation point, and maintain this moisture while working with the enamels. Apply the enamels onto the copper with a small spatula, and spread them out with a spreader to a coat of about 1/32” thick.
°F Temperature Equivalents For Orton Self-Supporting Pyrometric Cones Cone Number Heated at: Self-Supporting Cones 27° F 108° F 270° F Per Hour* Per Hour* Per Hour* Pre-Fire Color 022 — 1087 1094 Green 021 — 1112 1143 Fuschia 020 — 1159 1180 Orange 019 1213 1252 1283 Yellow 018 1267 1319 1353 White 017 1301 1360 1405 Pink 016 1368 1422 1465 Light Blue 015 1382 1456 1504 Violet 014 1395 1485 1540 Gray 013 1485 1539 1582 Green 012 1549 1582 1620 Fuschi
Firing Low Fire Glaze Wet kiln wash would be too difficult to remove. Pieces likely to warp in firing should be supported by rolls of porcelain clay shaped to fit the objects at points of strain. Apply dry silica or high fire kiln wash to the points of contact to prevent sticking. Before firing, the support rolls must also be dry. Clean the firing chamber before each glaze firing. Wipe surfaces with a clean, damp cloth or vacuum with the soft brush nozzle attachment of a vacuum cleaner.
Silver & Gold Clay With silver clay, it is possible to shape intricate, free-form silver jewelry in minutes—even as a beginner. (The clay is also available in gold; for simplicity we will refer to both metals as “silver clay.”) At the time of printing, the silver clay brands available were Art Clay Silver and Precious Metal Clay. Silver clay looks and feels like modeling clay. It is formed with simple tools such as a tooth pick, small knife, and razor blade.
After the kiln begins firing, leave the top closed. Do not lift the top until it is time to remove the clay. Visual inspection of the clay during firing is unnecessary. If you are firing glass with the silver clay, on the other hand, you will need to check the fusing progress of the glass by moving the kiln top ½” or more and l o o k ing inside. Look for just a second or two.
Ceramics Overglaze Breaking in Overglaze Firing can be caused by poorly fired bisque. A slow bisque fire is always better for ware that is to be china painted. The greenware should be completely dry before being placed in the kiln. Standing plates on edge or using a plate holder gives good heat circulation and will help in preventing plate breakage. Peeling China Paint can be caused by applying the paint too heavily.
Replacing the Thermocouple 1 UNPLUG the kiln. 2 Remove the screws on the sides of the switch box that hold it to the kiln. Gently lift the box away from the kiln. 3 Remove the two screws securing the thermocouple ceramic block. Pull thermocouple from its firebrick hole. Loosen the screws holding the thermocouple to the ceramic block. 4 Slide the new thermocouple into the thermocouple hole. The thermocouple should protrude into the firing chamber 1” or more.
Replacing a Switch Or Pyrometer (Manual Kilns Only) 1 UNPLUG kiln. 2 Remove the screws on the sides of the switch box that hold it to the kiln. Gently lift the box away from the kiln. 3 Switch: Pull off the switch knob with fingertips. Hold the new switch at the side of the switch box in the same position as the defective switch, aligned in the same direction. Remove and transfer one wire at a time from the old switch to the new one. Make sure each connection is tight.
Replacing An Element Paragon replacement elements are stretched to the proper length for the Caldera at the factory. However, a little stretching or compressing may be necessary for a perfect fit. It is safe to bend and stretch new elements before they have been fired, but once fired and allowed to cool, elements become brittle and will break if bent. 1 UNPLUG the kiln and allow to cool to room temperature. Remove the top. Lift the kiln off the bottom and place the kiln on a table.
14 Cut off twisted end of element even with side of element c onnectors. Leaving the excess element sticking out past element connector could ruin your new element! (The el- ement could short against something in the switch box.) 15 As you move the switch box back into place, check to see that no wire touches an element connector. Wires must also not touch kiln’s case inside the switch box. Wires will burn if they touch the case or element connectors. Reinstall screws in switch box and tighten.
