The Paragon Home Artist looks like an air hostess's travelling case, with wheels and a telescopic handle. It's very easy to move around, so excellent for demonstrations, presentations, and exhibitions, or a small studio that doesn't have a dedicated kiln space.

The Paragon Home Artist is ideal for Art Clay, PMC, Accent Gold, Metal Clay Veneer, Fimo Polymer Clay, china painting, dichroics, enamelling, jewellery, and medium-scale low-fire ceramics, glass fusing, sagging, slumping, and raku. It's a 1095°C cone 04, cylindrical, top-opening kiln, with an easy-to-use, ramp-hold, Sentry Xpress 3-key digital programmer.

The HomeArtist kiln is sometimes called an Art Clay kiln, a ceramic kiln, a craft kiln, an enamelling kiln, a glass kiln, a glass-fusing kiln, a hobby kiln, a jewellery kiln, a metal clay kiln, a PMC kiln, a portable kiln, a SilverClay kiln, a small kiln, or a studio kiln.

This comprehensive internet resource lets you research and compare kilns in your own time. But, to make it easier, there are two broad groups: smaller kilns for jewellery, enamelling, fusing, and keepsakes, and larger kilns for ceramics, glass, and heat treating.

For smaller plug-in table-top kilns, such as the Paragon SC-1, SC-2, SC-3, BlueBird, Caldera, CS ClamShell, FireFly, Fusion, Home Artist, KM, and Xpress, the Kitiki MiniKiln, and the UltraLite, stay here at Electric Kilns and use the links below the menu bar near the top of the page.

For larger wired-in floor-standing kilns, such as the Paragon Fusion, GL, Ovation, and Pearl for glass, the KM for knife making, and the Dragon, Iguana, Janus, SNF, TNF, Viking, and Vulcan for ceramics, porcelain, pottery, and stoneware, transfer now to Paragon Kilns using the Paragon Kilns link above the menu bar near the top of the page.

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The Paragon Home Artist.

The Paragon Home Artist is a low cost, ceramic-fobre kiln. It's suitable for for Art Clay, PMC, Accent Gold, Metal Clay Veneer, Fimo Polymer Clay, china painting, dichroics, enamelling, jewellery, and medium-scale low-fire ceramics, glass fusing, sagging, slumping, and raku.

The Paragon Home Artist is a 1095°C cone 04, cylindrical, top-opening kiln, with an easy-to-use, ramp-hold, Sentry Xpress 3-key digital programmer.

The UK kiln is rated at 230V 2200W, so can use a regular mains socket. It's small enough to use in your home, school, craft workshop, ceramics studio, or course venue, as it only weighs about 21kg.

To comply with EU safety regulations, an additional switch, included in the price, is fitted to cut off the power whenever the kiln is opened. This feature changes the design slightly, so the EU model doesn't look exactly the same as the US model.

The stainless steel body normally stands on four legs. The electrical components and the safety cut-out, located on the front, stay cool, even at extended hold times. The programmer faces upwards, making it easy to use.

The outer steel case measures 406mm x 584mm x 476mm, including the legs, wheels, telescopic handle, programmer housing, and hinge assembly.

The ceramic-fibre firing chamber measures 305mm x 305mm internally, and is suspended in a vented steel case to help keep the outside cool. It heats from the side, with the fast-firing elements lying in the ceramic fibre.

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.

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 furniture kit, included in the price, consists of two round 254mm x 15mm cordierite shelves, three sets of assorted shelf posts, three bell stilts, six 06 Orton cones, and a bag of glass separator.

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.

Cordierite is brittle: if you drop the shelf, it'll break. It's a good idea to have spare shelves, especially if your business depends on your kiln or you're running courses. You can buy extra shelf kits in the on-line shop.

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. However, remember that glass needs radiant heat and is better fired on one shelf rather than between stacked shelves.

For enamelling and glass fusing, you'll need to put kiln paper on the shelf to stop anything sticking: it's simpler and cleaner to use than glass separator. You can buy shelf paper in the on-line shop.

The 1095°C Home Artist is a versatile kiln for your craft workshop or glass studio: it's compact and easy to move, it can use a regular mains socket, it's fully programmable, and it's inexpensive to run. It's popular with glass artists, as it will accommodate seven 250mm plates.

The elements are embedded in ceramic fibre, an important safety feature if you like to add and remove work whilst the kiln is on. However, never get careless: kilns are hot and connected to the mains.

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.

All programmable kilns work in the same way. The thermocouple tells the programmer the current temperature. Depending on the programme settings, the programmer switches the elements on or off to control the heating or cooling rate or the target temperature.

When the target temperature is reached, the elements are switched off. However, residual heat in the firing chamber allows the internal temperature to overshoot the target temperature briefly before starting to fall back.

This overshoot is more noticeable at low temperatures than at high temperatures. For example: 300°C will probably overshoot to 340°C whereas 800°C will probably only overshoot to 810°C before starting to fall back.

The overshoot represents the temperature of the thermocouple, not the temperature of your work on a thick shelf. But take it into account if you're working with very temperature-critical materials or processes,

During the hold-time, with the elements still off, the internal temperature falls. Although the programmer will soon switch the elements back on, the firing chamber will initially absorb some of the new heat before the temperature recovers. The continual switching of the elements on and off causes the internal temperature to cycle around the target temperature.

Regardless of the thermocouple temperature, the actual temperature of your work will slightly different, depending on its position on the kiln shelf, the vertical spacing of any stacked shelves, and its nearness to the elements, a lid, a door, a bead door, a window, or a peephole.

Remember that glass needs radiant heat and will fuse, sag, or slump better on one shelf at the bottom than between closely stacked shelves.

All kilns smell a bit during the first few firings, just like a toaster or fan. If you're at all worried about fumes, open a window.

Kiln doors and lids are not meant to be a perfect fit otherwise, at high temperatures, there'd be no room for expansion and the door could stick and the ceramic-fibre or firebricks could crack.

Eventually, with normal use, kilns discolour slightly, inside and outside, and some firebricks might develop hairline cracks. Your kiln is a versatile, robust, red-hot tool: not an ornament.

Using your kiln successfully needs careful research and frequent tests, especially as things that work for your friends or teachers might not work in the same way for you. It's also very important to learn how to creatively use unexpected effects. So, keep a firing log:

Buy a durable notebook. Use a new page for every firing, and draw diagrams of the shelves, their vertical spacing, and the position of your work on the shelves. Along with your work, put a few scraps at different places on the shelves to learn how things fire or change. Describe the material, the shape of your work, the firing cycle, and the end result.

A kiln log is vital if you're experimenting with temperature-sensitive materials, or working with coloured dichroic glasses, enamels, glazes, or paints, and a skilled artist will use the kiln log to advantage to re-create effects.

It'll be particularly useful if you have to repeat a commission, or if you have a long break before returning to your kiln work.

There are two makes of silver clay and gold clay: Art Clay and PMC. Although we chose to distribute, and sell, Art Clay, both fire in a similar way. So any kiln suitable for Art Clay will be just as good for PMC.

Art Clay, sometimes called silver clay, gold clay, metal clay, or precious-metal clay, is made by Aida Chemical Industries. It's a clay-like material made of fine silver or gold powder and a water-soluble organic binder.

As it's fired, the binder vapourises, releasing very small amounts of non-toxic carbon dioxide and water vapour, and the metal powder sinters, leaving solid 999 silver or 22 carat gold: real metal, not something that just looks like metal.

Art Clay and PMC are easy to fire: put your dried pieces on a kiln shelf and programme the temperature and hold-time. Several shelves can be stacked to make better use of your time: so you might want more than one furniture kit.

To learn more about Art Clay, use the art clay link below the menu bar near the top of the page. You can buy ArtClay, bronzeclay, copperclay, glassclay, extra shelf kits, and related products in the on-line shop.

If you're currently using PMC, try Art Clay. There are differences in the feel, the shrinkage, the strength, the surface lustre, the product range, the pricing, and the general commercial setup if you're running a serious business.

There are two makes of bronze clay: Prometheus Bronze Clay made by Odak, and BronzClay made by Metal Adventures. They're both clay-like materials made of fine bronze powder and a water-soluble organic binder.

As they're fired, the binder vapourises, releasing very small amounts of non-toxic carbon dioxide and water vapour, and the metal powder sinters, leaving solid bronze, an alloy of 89% copper and 11% tin: real metal, not something that just looks like metal. However, they're fired in different ways:

Prometheus Bronze Clay is easy to fire: put your dried pieces on a kiln shelf and programme the temperature and hold time. Several shelves can be stacked to make better use of your time: so you might want more than one furniture kit.

BronzClay is fired in a special way: your work needs to be firmly embedded in activated charcoal granules in a stainless steel container and covered with a lid. The container measures 162mm x 176mm x 100mm, and holds 1 litre of charcoal.

To fire larger pieces, or more pieces at the same time, you'll need a larger kiln, such as the Paragon Xpress E-12A. The stainless steel container for the E-12A measures 265mm x 162mm x 152mm and holds 3 litres of charcoal.

The Xpress E12A is over three times larger inside than the FireFly. To learn more about the Xpress series kilns, use the main menu link below the menu bar near the top of the page, then choose xpress.

To learn more about bronze clay, use the bronze clay link below the menu bar near the top of the page. You can buy ArtClay, bronzeclay, copperclay, glassclay, the stainless steel container, charcoal, and related products in the on-line shop.

There are three makes of copper clay: Art Clay Copper made by Aida, Prometheus Copper Clay made by Odak, and CopprClay made by Metal Adventures. They're all clay-like materials made of fine copper powder and a water-soluble organic binder.

As they're fired, the binder vapourises, releasing very small amounts of non-toxic carbon dioxide and water vapour, and the metal powder sinters, leaving solid copper: real metal, not something that just looks like metal. However, they're fired in different ways:

Art Clay Copper and Prometheus Copper Clay are easy to fire: put your dried pieces on a kiln shelf and programme the temperature and hold-time. Several shelves can be stacked to make better use of your time: so you might want more than one furniture kit.

CopprClay is fired in a special way: your work needs to be firmly embedded in activated charcoal granules in a stainless steel container and covered with a lid. The container measures 162mm x 176mm x 100mm, and holds 1 litre of charcoal.

To fire larger pieces, or more pieces at the same time, you'll need a larger kiln, such as the Paragon Xpress E-12A. The stainless steel container for the E-12A measures 265mm x 162mm x 152mm and holds 3 litres of charcoal.

The Xpress E12A is over three times larger inside than the FireFly. To learn more about the Xpress series kilns, use the main menu link below the menu bar near the top of the page, then choose xpress.

To learn more about copper clay, use the copper clay link below the menu bar near the top of the page. You can buy ArtClay, bronzeclay, copperclay, glassclay, the stainless steel container, charcoal, and related products in the on-line shop.

GlasClay is made by ClayMania in vibrant colours. It's a clay-like material made of fine glass powder and water-soluble organic binders.

As it's fired, the binder vapourises, releasing very small amounts of non-toxic carbon dioxide and water vapour, and the glass powder fuses, leaving solid glass: real glass, not something that just looks like glass.

GlasClay is easy to fire: put your dried pieces on a kiln shelf and programme the temperature and hold time. Several shelves can be stacked to make better use of your time: so you might want more than one furniture kit.

GlasClay can be shaped easily. You can make three-dimensional objects and free yourself from the constraint of working with flat glass. The size is only determined by the support you can give it. Perhaps the most exciting opportunity is to make your own beads without a torch.

The firing temperature and time are important: glass clays have to fuse, not melt. There's a difference between fusing and melting: During fusing, the binder in the glass clay vapourises and the glass powder particles bond to make solid glass. During melting, the glass powder particles liquify and lose their original clay-shape.

GlasClay is sold as a kit, comprised of six different colours in 25gm pots: Black Opal Bullseye CB 90 0100 25, Canary Yellow Opal Bullseye CB 90 0120 25, White Opal Bullseye CB 90 0113 25, Grenadine Red Uroboros CU 90 606 25, Cornflower Blue Opal Uroboros CU 90 408 25, and Apple Jade Opal Uroboros CU 90 726 25. They're all COE90: read this pop-up.

To learn more about glass clay, use the glass clay link below the menu bar near the top of the page. You can buy ArtClay, bronzeclay, copperclay, glassclay, the stainless steel container, charcoal, and related products in the on-line shop.

The Kitiki Studio provides a comprehensive Art Clay educational programme as classes, masterclasses, workshops, and Art Clay Level 1 and Level 2 teacher-certification courses, as well as classes for related materials and techniques.

Arts and crafts events, introductory workshops, studio open-days, guest-teacher masterclasses, and general jewellery courses, are often added. If you're interested, mail or call.

This is a Cherry Heaven on-line shop and an EU distributor, sales, support, spares, and repair centre for kilns: it's not a bead, ceramics, crafts, glass, or metal-clay shop, selling a few kilns to a market niche.

Although it's an internet resource, you can still mail or call an engineer about kilns, power supplies, home diagnostics, repairs, spares, safety issues, a special project, or reselling opportunities.

This internet resource belongs to Cherry Heaven, a shop in Corfe Castle village near the National Trust Estate. Cherry Heaven sells a diverse selection of exclusive essentials and luxuries.

Cherry Heaven is an EU distributor for Paragon Kilns made in Texas USA, Advance Kilns made in Canada, Efco Kilns made in Germany, Kitiki Mini-Kilns made in Turkey, and UltraLite Kilns made in the US.

Cherry Heaven is a UK distributor for Art Clay made by Aida Chemical Industries in Japan, BronzClay and CopprClay, both made by Metal Adventures in the US, and GlasClay made by ClayMania in the US, and an EU distributor for AccentGold For Silver paint and Metal Clay Veneer, both made in the US.

Cherry Heaven has been commended for an outstanding performance as one of Paragon's top-selling distributors over 2007 to : a pleasing outcome since the UK is one third the area of Texas and one fortieth the area of the US.

Founded as a family business in 1948, Paragon Industries is now the world's leading manufacturer of electric kilns and furnaces, and has built over 380 000. The 4 830 square metre site, in Mesquite, Texas, employs over 70 full-time staff.

Paragon continually monitors design and manufacture, leading to versatile, practical, safe kilns. Every kiln goes through a fifteen-step quality check, with a technician following the build, and is inspected before shipping. Paragon kilns are thoughtfully and robustly engineered, so you're buying a kiln with a future.

Paragon kilns conform to the demanding UL 499 standard in the US, and are CE Marked for the EU. Paragon is Greek for Model Of Perfection.

The kiln prices include the recommended shelf kit, and the legally-necessary lid or door safety switch where appropriate.

The on-line shop link is below the menu bar near the top of the page. You can buy kilns, kiln shelves, shelf paper, metal clays, glass clays, ceramic blocks and cloths, reminder timers, digital pyrometers, glare-resistant glasses, heat-resistant gloves, fire extinguishers, spare parts, and accessories. Alternatively, visit Cherry Heaven in Corfe Castle village.

Unlike most internet shops, you won't have to create an account, log on, register, remember a password, sign up, join a club, or volunteer all your personal and debit card details to discover that, at the last moment, the total is more than you expected because the VAT and a delivery charge were obscured.