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Explanation of Options for Paragon Glass Kilns

    Paragon has a wide range of options to protect the kiln or improve the firing experience.

Furniture:     The furniture kit includes a kiln shelf to protect the kiln bottom from molten glass and should always be used whenever firing glass in a kiln.  Furniture kits also include small kiln posts to raise the shelf off the brick kiln bottom and glass separator to prevent molten glass from fusing to the kiln shelf.     Please note, kiln shelves are relatively heavy, and can be very difficult (or even impossible) to pack for UPS shipments.  Local customers may purchase additional furniture at any time from Dogwood Ceramic Supply's inventory of kiln furniture, but customers that need furniture to be shipped to their location are advised to purchase the desired furniture at the same time as you purchase the kiln.     Kiln furniture is considered a consumable product and is not standard with kilns.

Stands:     The standard kiln stand, shown to the left, comes standard with each top loading round Paragon kiln and was designed to support the weight of the kiln and accommodate the optional Orton KilnVent.  Paragon makes an optional Deluxe Kiln Stand that is equipped with 2" steel casters, shown to the right.  If you have the need to frequently move your kiln, the Deluxe Kiln Stand is perfect for you needs.  Please be advised that the deluxe kiln stand can not be easily used with the Orton Downdraft vent system.

ST-8 Stands:     For Front Loading Glass Kilns and the Pearl Clamshell kilns the ST-8 Kiln Stand is an option.  The ST-8 Kiln Stands come into versions, one with casters, one without.  The ST-8 Kiln Stand measures 30" x 30" and is 28¼" high while the ST-8-1 Kiln Stand with casters measures 30¾".  Both kiln stands are shipped fully assembled and weigh approximately 150 lbs.  The price of the ST-8 Kiln Stand includes freight charges when shipped with a matching Paragon Kiln.  Save $10 when shipped unassembled.

Ceramic Fiber Top with Replaceable Element:     For many years the top element in many kiln designs would suffer from "the droops".  No nice way to say it, the elements could and would droop from the element channel.  Besides being unsightly and presenting a moderate safety issue causing the kiln owner to pin the elements in place, the drooping element would rub the surrounding brick causing small pieces to slough off and typically land right in the middle of valuable works of art.  So Paragon redesigned the element channel and installed an element that is always held in place as the channel opening into the kiln is smaller than the element thus eliminating the need for pinning and preventing the "droops".  However, there are still issues with kiln bricks contracting and expanding and small pieces of brick dust that float around in a kiln always landing right in the middle of the valuable works of art.  Good housekeeping practices inside the kiln can prevent those floating pieces of brick dust.  OR the kiln owner can purchase the Ceramic Fiber Top with the Replaceable Element.  The issues with floating brick dust are virtually eliminated with the Ceramic Fiber Top and the kiln owner can afford to replace the elements at some date in the future.

    The Ceramic Fiber Top Element is also available with an embedded (non-replaceable) element on the GL24ADTSD.  Dogwood Ceramic Supply recommends the Ceramic Fiber Top with Replaceable Element as it is lower in cost and allows the element to be replaced at a latter date.

Lid Safety Switch (also known as Door Safety Switch):     Fluid filled rocker switch mounted to the hinge assembly of the kiln lid or door that instantly shuts off power to all elements in the kiln whenever the kiln lid or door is opened while leaving the digital controller fully powered and able to resume the proper firing after the lid has been closed.  The lid safety switch is standard on select kilns and optional on all other Paragon kilns.  The Lid Safety Switch should be used with kilns which have elements in the lid or door and may require frequent opening and closing of the kiln during the firing.  The lid safety switch is required on all models of kilns exported to the UK regardless of kiln design or usage.  $70.00 upgrade for all kilns.

Paragon LiteLid (shown on Paragon Fusion-10):     The Paragon LiteLid that is found on all the large Paragon top loading Pottery Kilns has found its way to the Fusion series of Glass Kilns. The LiteLid is standard equipment on the Paragon Ovation-10 and is optional on the Paragon Fusion-10.      The purpose of the LiteLid is to reduce the wear, tear and damage on large kiln lids which are often heavy and prone to being dropped and damaged by the user.

1" x 3" Glass Window, Fusion Style:   Optional 1” x 3” high-temperature glass window allows user to view kiln chamber while the kiln firing.  Users should wear appropriate safety glasses when viewing the glowing kiln interior.  Available on select kilns.

Orton Vent Master:     The Orton downdraft Vent Master is designed to remove noxious gases from a kiln during firing and exhausts the gases from the room.  For more information regarding kiln ventilation please refer to Dogwood Ceramic Supply's Orton Vent Master section on the Paragon Information page.     The optional Auxiliary Output (AOP) mounted on the control box of the kiln.  The AOP is a factory installed power supply that is operated through the Orton Sentry 2.0 digital Controller.  By programming the Sentry 2.0 controller and powering the vent through the AOP, the Vent Master can be operated in the most energy efficient and optimum mode for each type of firing.     Generally speaking glass artists have few worries about noxious gases as most glass materials have been previously fired which results in the removal of carbon that produces many of the noxious gases.  However, building codes for schools and commercial locations as well as the use of lusters or other products may dictate the need for a downdraft vent to be added to a glass kiln.     The Orton Vent Master and AOP is available as an option on most Paragon kilns.  The Orton Vent Master can be easily retrofitted to most kilns after purchase, but the AOP is only available as a factory installed option.  Installation to the kiln case for box and clamshell kilns is included in the price of the vent unit.

S Type Thermocouple:
    S Type Thermocouples are popular with potter's due to their long life and high degree of accuracy. For more information regarding the choice of thermocouples, please refer to Dogwood Ceramic Supply's S-Type versus K-Type section on the Paragon Information page.  For glass artists (firing at much cooler temperatures than potters) the S Type thermocouple is seldom a good investment as the standard K Type thermocouple can last many years.  However, if firing caustic materials the life of a K Type thermocouple can be greatly diminished and the S-Type thermocouple should be considered.  S-Type Thermocouples are extremely fragile and are easily broken if stuck by a kiln shelf or wares.  The warranty of the S-Type is TWO years except for physically damaged units.

Mercury Relays:
    Yes, the Relays really can be filled with Mercury.

    Most Paragon Kilns use a mechanical relay that controls the flow of electricity to the elements.  On and Off, On and Off, the mechanical relays are constantly cycling.  In the typical pottery kiln that on-off cycling is usually a few seconds on followed by several seconds off as the temperature is slowly built up in the kiln.  This slow cycling allows the relay to cool off between periods of being on and prevents premature relay failure.  The basic glass fusing kiln will follow a similar pattern of on-off and the mechanical relays work quite well for such kilns.  But for glass artists that will be holding the temperature for long periods of time the relays become over worked with frequent on-off cycles.  Often the on-off cycling is so frequent and of such a short duration that the noise generated from the relay is best described as chattering.  In a manner of speaking the relay is doing it's job at a normal pace of performance.  But in a kiln environment, with all the heat of the kiln chamber very close by, it is difficult for a chattering relay to dissipate the heat generated from the frequent on-off cycling.  Heat is not very friendly to a mechanical relay and premature relay failure is common.  Enter our friend the Mercury Relay.  Mercury Relays are ultra heavy duty, capable of handling large amounts of electrical current.  Mercury also is wonderful to dissipate the heat of frequent on-off relay cycles.
    Why not make Mercury Relays standard equipment?  The issue is not the Mercury, as the relays are sealed and failure is very infrequent, but because the Mercury Relays are expensive.  Depending upon kiln amperage the Mercury Relays can cost as much as $195 per relay and some larger kilns can require 2 to 5 Mercury Relays depending upon the electrical specifications of the kiln.

(For smaller kilns the quantity of Mercury Relays does not vary and the total price for Mercury Relays is always quoted)

    Should you add Mercury Relays to your glass kiln?  The best answer to that question is how hard will your kiln work, especially holding temperatures for extended periods of time, plus the location of the kiln.  Is your kiln going to heavily used with hold times of 2 hours at one temperature while located in an outdoor work shed near Death Valley?  Then add the Mercury Relays as the work load on the kiln as well as the high ambient temperature will most likely cause premature relay failure.  Is the kiln going to be located in an air conditioned room with the kiln temperature seldom held for more than a few minutes?  Then skip the Mercury Relays as the replacement cost of the regular relays is $28 to $48 and it will be difficult to recover the added cost of the Mercury Relays.  Kilns between these two extremes are difficult to judge.  Replacing standard relays are not very difficult for those who are handy with basic tools.   But there are those issues of premature relay failure that always seem to occur during a critical firing.  Historically about 50% of all customers will opt for the Mercury Relays.

Mercury Relay shown to the left, conventional mechanical relay shown to the right.  There is a significant mounting difference between the two types of relays and user upgrading is not easily accomplished.

APM Elements:
    Standard kiln elements from all kiln manufacturers are made from Kanthal A1 or equivalent wire that is designed for a maximum temperature performance of Cone 10.  For must glass customers the conventional element performs extremely well and are quite durable, often lasting for years or even decades.  However, firing caustic substances in the kiln chamber can greatly reduce the life of the standard elements.
    APM elements are an advanced alloy produced by Kanthal that is resistant to many corrosive gases and do not incur resistance changes over time from usage.  Bottom line, APM elements are far superior to the conventional elements.  They are also extremely expensive with upgrade prices of $300 to $1200 depending upon kiln design and electrical service. The good news is that APM elements can be retrofitted to any kiln at any time.