The Paragon SC series kilns are low-cost, ceramic-fibre kilns, which heat and cool quickly. You can fire metal clays, fuse glass, anneal glass beads, do enamelling, melt silver, and work with many other materials and processes.
They're ideal for your home, school, college, craft workshop, jewellery studio, or arts centre providing jewellery courses.

The Paragon SC series kilns come in two versions, as the SC-2 and the 50mm taller SC-3. They're both 1095°C, four sided, square, ceramic-fibre, front-opening kilns, with easy-to-use, ramp-hold, Sentry Xpress 3-key digital programmers. The Paragon SC2 is probably the most popular kiln in the UK.

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

The SC2 and SC3 are also 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 heat-resistant glass viewing-window as the more versatile SC2BW and SC3BW.

The Paragon SC series kilns are sometimes called Art Clay kilns, annealing kilns, beading kilns, craft kilns, dichroic glass kilns, enamelling kilns, glass kilns, glass fusing kilns, hobby kilns, jewellery kilns, jewelry kilns, lampwork kilns, metal clay kilns, PMC kilns, silverclay kilns, small kilns, or studio kilns.

Compared to similar kilns from other manufacturers, such as the Evenheat E-360 and the Sierra, the Paragon SC2 costs less.

Electric Kilns is an on-line shop for low-cost table-top kilns, such as the UltraLite Kiln, the Kitiki Mini-Kiln, and the Paragon BlueBird, Caldera, FireFly, Fusion, Home Artist, SC-2, SC-3, and Xpress.

To learn more about larger kilns, such as the Paragon Fusion, GL, and Pearl glass kilns, the KM knife-making kilns, and the Dragon, Iguana, Janus, Ovation, Viking, and Vulcan ceramics kilns, transfer to Paragon Kilns, using the Paragon Kilns link above the menu bar near the top of the page.

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The Paragon SC-3.

The Paragon SC-3B.

The Paragon SC-3W.

The Paragon SC-3BW.

The Paragon SC series kilns come in two versions, as the SC-2 and the 50mm taller SC-3. They're both 1095°C, four sided, square, ceramic-fibre, front-opening kilns, with easy-to-use, ramp-hold, Sentry Xpress 3-key digital programmers. The Paragon SC2 is probably the most popular kiln in the UK.

The SC2 and SC3 are also 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 heat-resistant glass viewing-window as the more versatile SC2BW and SC3BW, leading to the versions shown in the table.

Paragon kilns, with the exception of the Caldera-S and FireFly-S, use Orton Sentry digital programmers. You can set up four sequences, each one with up to eight heating, holding, or cooling segments: so you can choose the heating and cooling rates, target temperatures, and hold times, save the sequences, and re-use them. They don't have any restrictive features such as single-sequence use or pre-set programmes.

Pre-set programmes 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 materials and processes such as: china painting, dichroic glasses, dolls, enamels, fusing, glazes, gold paints, sagging, and slumping.

Although there's cross-over, 1095°C front-opening ceramic-fibre kilns that heat and cool quickly, such as those in the SC series, are generally preferred for Art Clay and PMC metal clays, dichroic glass, enamelling, and mixed-media jewellery.

And 1290°C top-opening firebrick kilns that heat and cool evenly, such as those in the Caldera and FireFly series, are preferred for ceramics, porcelain, and pottery. Firebrick kilns are better suited to continual high temperatures.

The SC 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.

The SC series kilns heat from both sides, not from both sides and the back. This minimises the front-to-back temperature difference that's common with smaller kilns.

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.

All programmable kilns work in the same way: the thermocouple checks the internal temperature regularly and tells the programmer to switch the elements on or off to control the heating or cooling.

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 is more noticeable at low temperatures than at high temperatures. For example: 300°C will probably overshoot to 320°C whereas 800°C will probably only overshoot to 810°C before starting to fall back. Take this into account if you're working with 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.

The actual temperature of your work will be affected, slightly, by 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 than between stacked shelves.

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. Remember, your kiln is a robust, versatile, red-hot tool: not an ornament.

Working successfully with a kiln involves careful research, planned experiment, and repeated testing. It's important to learn how to creatively use unexpected effects, as things that work for your friends or teachers might not work in the same way for you. So, keep a firing log:

Buy a durable notebook. Using a new page for every firing, draw diagrams of the shelves, their vertical spacing, and the position of your work on the shelves. Put a few scraps at different places on the shelves to learn how things react. 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, or glazes, and a skilled artist will use the log to advantage to re-create effects.

The Paragon SC-3 series kilns are suitable for Art Clay, BronzClay, and PMC metal clays, Accent Gold, Metal Clay Veneer, glass-bead annealing, china painting, applying decals, dichroic glasses, enamelling, jewellery, lost-wax casting, low-fire ceramics, glass fusing, and small-scale glass sagging and slumping.

They're 1095°C, four sided, square, ceramic-fibre, front-opening kilns, with easy-to-use, ramp-hold, Sentry Xpress 3-key digital programmers.

The UK kiln is rated at 230V 2000W, so it 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 might 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, with the fast-firing elements safely embedded in the fibre.

Uniquely, our UK 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.

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, included in the price, consists of one 139mm x 139mm x 6mm ceramic-fibre shelf for Art Clay and PMC: not china paint, dichroic glasses, enamels, or fused glass.

If you want to do china painting, enamelling, or glass work, you'll need a thicker shelf and four shelf posts. These come as an extra kit: one 178mm x 178mm x 15mm cordierite shelf and four 25mm x 25mm x 12mm posts.

A thick heavy shelf retains heat and the shelf posts allow hot air to circulate. Some materials, glass in particular, need an even temperature.

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 Paragon SC-3B door includes a bead-anealing letter-box style door, 165mm x 64mm, and a bead-mandrel holder. Otherwise, it's the same as the SC2.

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

The Paragon SC-3BW door includes a bead-anealing 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.

To learn more about larger kilns, such as the Paragon Fusion, GL, and Pearl glass kilns, the KM knife-making kilns, and the Dragon, Iguana, Janus, Ovation, Viking, and Vulcan ceramics kilns, transfer to Paragon Kilns, using the Paragon Kilns link above the menu bar near the top of the page.

To learn more about Art Clay metal clays, Accent Gold, BronzClay, Metal Clay Veneer, buying and using kilns and tools, choosing a course, or joining The Art Clay Club, use the Art Clay link below the menu bar near the top of the page.

The Art Clay Club is an information resource, not a shop, providing free on-line help, 24 7 52: you don't have to register, log on, or remember a password.

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

The on-line shop includes the Ultra Lite Kiln, the Kitiki MiniKiln, Paragon Kilns, BullsEye ThinFire kiln paper, ceramic blocks, ceramic cloths, digital pyrometers, reminder-timers, fire extinguishers, glare-resistant glasses, heat-resistant gloves, kiln shelves, kiln tables, and other tools and accessories. Alternatively, visit the Cherry Heaven Shop in Corfe Castle village.

Cherry Heaven, through Electric Kilns, is an EU distributor for Paragon Kilns made by Paragon Industries in the US, and the Prometheus Pro kilns made by Odak Sanat in Turkey.

Cherry Heaven, through Advance Kilns, is the EU distributor for Advance Kilns made by Advance Kilns in Canada, and, through The UltraLite Kiln, an EU distributor for the Ultra Lite Kiln made by JEC Products in the US.

Cherry Heaven, through The Kitiki Studio, is a UK distributor for Art Clay made by Aida Chemical Industries in Japan, and an EU distributor for AccentGold For Silver paint and Metal Clay Veneer, both made in the US.