SC Series Kilns

Overview

The Paragon SC series kilns are ideal for Art Clay and PMC metal clays, Accent Gold, Metal Clay Veneer, china painting, glass-bead annealing, decals, dichroic glass, enamels, jewellery, lost-wax casting, low-fire ceramics, glass fusing, and small-scale sagging and slumping.

The Paragon SC series kilns are front-opening ceramic-fibre kilns which heat and cool quickly. They are good first-kilns for your home, school, craft workshop, jewellery studio, or course venue and are usually used for annealing beads, enamelling, fusing glass, and firing silver clays.  

They're four-sided, square, front-opening, ceramic-fibre kilns, with easy-to-use, ramp-hold, Sentry Xpress 3-key digital programmers. The EU models have a higher wattage rating than the US models, so heat even more quickly.   They can use a regular mains socket and stand on a typical 600mm wide worktop.

The above photo, of a Paragon SC2, shows the main power switch and the Sentry Xpress digital programmer near the bottom, the left-hand hinged door, and the vent at the top in the middle.

The Paragon SC series kilns come in two versions, as the SC-2 and the 50mm taller SC-3. Each version is made in the following four types: Basic, W (with viewing window), B (with bead-annealing door), and BW (with both door and window).

Firing Characteristics

All small, fast-heating, ceramic-fibre kilns, such as those in the SC series, with heating elements in both sides and the back, have firing characteristics you need to be aware of:

Set to a low temperature, the actual temperature will overshoot before the thermocouple and programmer can regulate it: particularly if the heating rate is set to full. Set to a high temperature, the overshoot will usually be negligible.

Work placed at the back of the kiln will be slightly hotter than work at the front. Work near the sides of the kiln will be slightly hotter than work in the middle. If you're using several shelves, work on the top shelf will be slightly cooler.

The glass window in the SC2W, SC2BW, SC3W, and SC3BW, will modify the front-to-back temperature difference slightly. Also, at continual high temperatures, the window glass might discolour: but it's easy and cheap to replace.

These variations don't affect Art Clay and PMC, but might affect glass, particularly dichroic glass. They can be minimised by reducing the set temperature slightly, choosing a slower heating rate, and learning where to position your work on the shelf.

The best way to learn about your kiln is to keep a firing log, listing the material you used, the shelves and their spacing, the firing cycle, and the end result. The log is vital if you're experimenting with dichroic glass, enamels, glazes, and other colour-dependent materials, and a skilled artist will use the temperature variations to advantage for different effects.

Technical

Paragon kilns don't have programmers with pre-set sequences: you can choose the sequence temperatures, times, and heating and cooling rates.  

As a beginner, pre-sets 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. And, later, you might want to work with other processes and materials such as: china painting, dichroic glass, dolls, enamels, fusing, glass-bead annealing, glazes, gold paints, low-fire ceramics, sagging, and slumping.

The SC2 and SC3 are available with a bead-annealing door as the SC2B and SC3B, a glass viewing-window as the SC2W and SC3W, and a bead-annealing door and a glass viewing-window as the more versatile SC2BW and SC3BW.

KILN	VERSION	TEMP °C	POWER W	WEIGHT KG	FIRING CHAMBER	INTERIOR SIZES MM
SC2		1095	1745	16	ceramic fibre	199 x 204 x 145
SC2B	bead door	1095	1745	16	ceramic fibre	199 x 204 x 145
SC2W	window	1095	1745	16	ceramic fibre	199 x 204 x 145
SC2BW	bead door and window	1095	1745	16	ceramic fibre	199 x 204 x 145
SC3		1095	2000	18	ceramic fibre	199 x 204 x 195
SC3B	bead door	1095	2000	18	ceramic fibre	199 x 204 x 195
SC3W	window	1095	2000	18	ceramic fibre	199 x 204 x 195
SC3BW	bead door and window	1095	2000	18	ceramic fibre	199 x 204 x 195

 Front-opening ceramic-fibre kilns, such as those in the SC series, are the popular choice for metal clays. They heat and cool more quickly than similar firebrick kilns although you can use the programmer to control the rate for other materials and processes.

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.

SC Series Modifications For Electric Kilns Uk

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.

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

A lever-style 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.

 SC-2 Details

 The SC-2 - £549

The Paragon SC-2 is ideal for Art Clay, PMC, Accent Gold, Metal Clay Veneer, Fimo Polymer Clay, china painting, dichroics, enamelling, jewellery, lost-wax casting, low-fire ceramics, glass fusing, and small-scale sagging and slumping. It's a 1095°C, four-sided, square, front-opening kiln, with an easy-to-use, ramp-hold, Sentry Xpress 3-key digital programmer. 

The UK kiln is rated at 230V 1745W, so 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 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 and the back, with the fast-firing elements safely embedded in the fibre.

Uniquely, the UK SC-2 kiln has a sheathed thermocouple which prevents the possible corrosion, and eventual failure, of the bi-metallic tip: usually caused by pollutants 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.

Shelf furniture

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 for the SC2, included in the price, consists of one 139mm x 139mm x 6mm ceramic-fibre shelf for Art Clay and PMC. This is a soft ceramic-fibre shelf for metal clays, not for china paint, dichroic glasses, enamels, or fused glass. We strongly recommend you order an extra thicker and harder shelf and four posts – these are expensive to ship at a later date, and experience shows that nearly all SC2 and SC3 kiln purchasers decide, sooner or later, that they need one. For this reason a shelf will be packaged with the kiln, and charged for, unless you specifically state you do not want one. The cost for the shelf and four posts is currently £24.95, and the size is one 178mm x 178mm x 15mm cordierite shelf and four 25mm x 25mm x 12mm posts. Kiln shelf paper is simpler and more convenient to use than glass separator for stopping enamels and glass sticking to the shelf.

Cordierite is a magnesium aluminium silicate that resists thermal distortion and fracture. A thick shelf, on posts, heats and cools evenly: particularly important for glass work. 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.  

The Paragon SC2 is a good first-kiln, popular with silver clay artists, particularly those also making jewellery with beads, dichroics, enamels, glass, and silver. It's ideal for a studio running jewellery courses: it's compact and easy to move, it can use a regular mains socket, it stays cool on the outside, it's fully programmable, it heats and cools quickly, and it's inexpensive to run.

Apart from its internal size, the only minor limitation is that, although 1095°C is hot enough for low-fire ceramics, it's not hot enough for normal ceramics, porcelain, pottery, and stoneware: they need a 1260°C or 1290°C kiln.  

The SC-2B: Bead Door - £569

The Paragon SC-2B door includes a bead-annealing letter-box style door, 165mm x 64mm, and a bead-mandrel holder. Otherwise, it's the same as the SC2.  Only needed if you intend to anneal lampwork beads. 

The SC-2W: Window - £589

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

The SC-2BW: Bead Door And Window - £599

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

SC-3

 The SC-3 - £629

The Paragon SC-3 is ideal for Art Clay, PMC, Accent Gold, Metal Clay Veneer, Fimo Polymer Clay, china painting, dichroics, enamelling, jewellery, lost-wax casting, low-fire ceramics, glass fusing, and small-scale sagging and slumping. It's a 1095°C, four-sided, square, front-opening kiln, with an easy-to-use, ramp-hold, Sentry Xpress 3-key digital programmer.

 The UK kiln is rated at 230V 2000W, so 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 18Kg.

The outer steel case measures 336mm x 311mm x 432mm, 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 may release fumes.

The ceramic-fibre firing chamber, enclosed in an inner steel case, measures 199mm x 204mm x 195mm internally, and heats from both sides and the back, with the fast-firing elements safely embedded in the fibre.

Uniquely, the SC-3 kiln has a sheathed thermocouple which prevents the possible corrosion, and eventual failure, of the bi-metallic tip: usually caused by pollutants 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.

Shelf Furniture

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 for the SC3, included in the price, consists of one 139mm x 139mm x 6mm ceramic-fibre shelf for Art Clay and PMC. This is a soft ceramic-fibre shelf for metal clays, not for china paint, dichroic glasses, enamels, or fused glass. We strongly recommend you order an extra thicker and harder shelf and four posts – these are expensive to ship at a later date, and experience shows that nearly all SC2 and SC3 kiln purchasers decide, sooner or later, that they need one. For this reason a shelf will be packaged with the kiln, and charged for, unless you specifically state you do not want one. The cost for the shelf and four posts is currently £24.95, and the size is one 178mm x 178mm x 15mm cordierite shelf and four 25mm x 25mm x 12mm posts. Kiln shelf paper is simpler and more convenient to use than glass separator for stopping enamels and glass sticking to the shelf.

 Cordierite is a magnesium aluminium silicate that resists thermal distortion and fracture. A thick shelf, on posts, heats and cools evenly: particularly important for glass work. Depending on the sizes of your pieces and the number of pieces you want to fire, four shelves can be stacked to make better use of your time: so you may want more than one furniture kit.

The Paragon SC3 is a good first-kiln, popular with metal clay artists, particularly those also making jewellery with beads, dichroics, enamels, glass, and silver. It's ideal for a studio running jewellery courses: it's compact and easy to move, it can use a regular mains socket, it stays cool on the outside, it's fully programmable, it heats and cools quickly, and it's inexpensive to run.

The firing chamber is 1.34 times higher inside than that of the SC2, so will accommodate taller pieces of work: or two extra shelves, making five in all.

Apart from its internal size, the only minor limitation is that, although 1095°C is hot enough for low-fire ceramics, it's not hot enough for normal ceramics, porcelain, pottery, and stoneware: they need a 1260°C or 1290°C kiln.

 The SC-3B: Bead Door - £649

 The Paragon SC-3B door includes a bead-annealing letter-box style door, 165mm x 64mm, and a bead-mandrel holder. Otherwise, it's the same as the SC3

 

The SC-3W: Window - £669

The Paragon SC-3W door includes a heat-resistant glass viewing-window, 50mm x 50mm. Otherwise, it's the same as the SC3.

 

The SC-3BW: Bead Door And Window - £679

 The Paragon SC-3BW door includes a bead-annealing letter-box style door, 165mm x 64mm, a bead-mandrel holder, and a heat-resistant glass viewing-window, 75mm x 25mm. Otherwise, it's the same as the SC3.

 

Shopping

We can offer the Paragon SC Series Kilns, kiln furniture, kiln paper, fire extinguishers, ceramic blocks, ceramic cloths, heat-resistant gloves, glare-resistant glasses, and other tools and accessories.

Kiln prices include the recommended furniture kit and the legally-necessary lid or door cut-off switch, where appropriate. If your delivery address is within the UK mainland, prices include VAT, a UK tax of 17.5%, and delivery: there are no other charges. If your invoice address is outside the EU, you don't pay VAT: so the prices will be 17.5% less.

If your delivery address is outside the UK mainland, there'll be an additional distance-related charge: so mail or call first. Also, your own country may impose an import tax.

To buy a Paragon SC Series kiln, please ring and talk to Mary on 0113 293 7053. She will go through your requirements with you, and make sure you have everything you need and that you are buying what is right for you. She will be able to let you know if your kiln is in stock and when you can expect delivery.

After Sales Service

These kilns rarely go wrong, and are guaranteed for one year. The Sentry Xpress programmer is guaranteed for 2 years. Spare parts are readily available, so if you have any problems, just ring us on the above number.