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Caldera & FireFly Instruction & Service Manual

1. 4 Where to Locate the Kiln 4 Installing the FireFly Thermocouple 4 Basic Operation 5 ACCOSSONCS o bcd eedi eira ea hued ere 5 Important Guidelines 5 Loading the Kiln 02 6 Venting the Kiln 020000 7 Glass Fusing amp Slumping 7 How to Cut Glass 0 0000 7 Fusing Compatibility of Glass 8 The Annealing Range 8 Cleaning and Gluing the Glass 8 Load Glass Into the Kiln 8 Firing the Glass cciccisd e gute eni aian 8 Annealing Flame Worked Glass Beads in the Caldera with Bead Collar 9 Enameling in the Caldera 10 How to Load the Caldera 10 Preparation of the Copper 10 Decorating the Copper 10 Firing Enamel oi aie de ees pini ee ee can 11 Ceramics a6 ceeciseseewaenas os 11 Pyrometric Cones is neisa inte eia e 11 Viewing the Cones During Firing 11 Firing Overglaze 202 eee 12 Firing Low Fire Greenware 12 Firing Low Fire Glaze 4 13 Firing Porcelain Greenware 13 Firing Porcelain Glaze 13 Firing Stoneware Greenware or Glaze 13 GlaZe T StiNg eccere Satan Seed ate teak 13 Silver amp Gold Clay 14 Drying Time 0 eee eee eee 14
2. Replacing a Relay Or Transformer Digital 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 The transformer and relay are bolted to the inside of the switch box Hold the new part next to the one you are replacing aligned in the same direction Remove and transfer one wire at a time from the old part to the new one Make sure each connection is tight 4 Replace push on connec tors and wires damaged by heat If wire connectors do not fit snugly on terminals gently squeeze the end of the terminal with pliers 5 Remove the old part from switch box Install the re placement Note Most relays are held in place with Fire in a well ventilated area 17 two sets of nuts and bolts When you replace a relay check to see if it has slots or holes where the bolts fasten If the relay has slots remove only one bolt and nut Loosen the other Then slide out the relay from the loosened bolt Note If you are replacing the transformer examine the new one to make sure the jumper wire is prop erly wired for your kiln s voltage See the kiln s wir ing diagram 6 Check to see that wires are not touching the kiln case or the element connectors Wires touching ele ment connectors or the kiln case will burn out Move switch box into place and reinstall switch box screws Replacing a Switch Or a Caldera S Pyromete
3. turned or accept the shipment after having the driver note the damage on the Bill of Lading Then call Paragon at 800 876 4328 or 972 288 7557 open Monday to Thursday 7 a m to 5 30 p m Central If there were no signs of visible kiln damage and you dis cover it after the driver has left notify the shipper immediately Save the packing materials Use them to pack the kiln when you take it with you to seminars or on vacation Needless worries Tremendous stresses are generated within the kiln The insulating firebricks actually expand and contract with each firing Do not be concerned if small cracks appear in the bricks This is normal These are surface cracks that close tightly when the heated brick expands During firing you will hear an intermittent distinct clicking In a digital kiln this is the sound of the relay sending power to the heat ing elements In a manual kiln it is the infinite control switch cy cling on and off Do not be concerned with this sound The Electrical data plate Im portant information about your kiln is recorded on its electrical data plate Please include this in formation when ordering parts or calling your dealer or the factory P about your kiln 2 Monitor the kiln during operation The Optional Glass Window 3 Setting Up the Kiln 55 4 Electrical Installation 4 The Caldera Kiln Stand 4 Seating the Elements
4. Loading the Kilisia cc ssi eee wea nenei 14 Venting the Ki sessir srereind mise wie eaten 14 Rate Temperature and Hold 14 Cooling TIME fies ese ese ue eer ee ee eee 15 Combining Silver Clay with Other Materials 15 Firing Mistakes 005 15 Silver Clay sas iisu g os Paka whiti aai nantes 15 GlASS pcp cee ee ee a aS 15 COlMAMICS 3 3 5 oo raen ens a ieee EE E 16 Kiln Maintenance 16 Trouble Shooter 0 000 eee eee 16 Replacing the Thermocouple 17 Replacing a Relay or Transformer 17 Replacing a Switch or Caldera S Pyrometer 18 Replacing the Temperature Controller 18 Reseating a Bulging Element 18 Replacing an Element 19 2013 by Paragon Industries L P IM 211 8 13 Safety 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 Food or Drink Surfaces Some decorative materials may be unsafe and toxic when used for surfaces that will be in contact with food or drink When you make food or drink containers select a glaze or glass that has been formulated tested and labeled as approved for surf
5. There is little danger of serious burn from accidental contact if you exercise the same caution you would use with an electric iron Installing the Manual FireFly Thermocouple Apyrometer comes with the Manual FireFly You will find a rod called the thermocouple packaged with your pyrome ter The thermocouple senses temperature The thermocouple should ex tend into the firing chamber by 3 1 19 mm 25 mm Insert the thermocouple into the kiln through the pre drilled hole near the hinge When the thermocou ple is positioned properly make a pencil mark on the outside of the thermocouple that is even with the kiln case During firing the pencil mark near the kiln case will indicate that the thermocou ple is positioned in the firing chamber by the correct distance Basic Operation Accessories Ceramic Shelves amp 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 Shelves can be stacked using posts ki Glass Separator amp Kiln Was Glass separator and kiln wash are mixtures of finely ground minerals that will not melt and fuse together at high temperatures They pre vent glass and ceramic glaze from sticking to shelves and the firebrick bottom The main differ ence between glass sepa rator and kiln wash is that the separator is ground A more finely to leave a smooth back
6. Firing should take about three minutes and requires undivided attention 3 Look at your piece every 15 seconds by opening the Enameling Collar door 4 When the copper piece appears a rosy red and the enamel is smooth turn off the power to the kiln Open the door and remove the enameling rack with an enameling fork Close the door Turn the power on if you want to make more enameling pieces 5 Place the rack on a steel pad or ceramic shelf and let it cool completely 6 After counter enameling you will need to clean the fire scale off the front of the piece A 3M Scotch Brite pad works well for this Then clean it with Thompson Sparex No 2 Ceramics Pyrometric Cones Pyrometric cones are small pyramids of clay and mineral oxide that soften and bend when exposed to heat They indi cate when ceramic ware has fired to maturity Pyrometric cones come in 1 1 8 28 5 mm and 2 1 2 63 mm lengths Use the 2 63 mm cones Cones mounted on the kiln shelf must be slanted 8 from vertical They will not A self supporting cone fired to matu bend accurately if they are rity Do not be concerned if the tip is sl nt d to th wrong angle slightly higher or lower than shown Self supporting large cones have the correct slant A puddled over fired cone built into the base Stan dard cones must be mounted in a clay or wire plaque The chart on page 12 shows the temperatures of pyrometric
7. a 2 12 5 mm post un der the top Wait until kiln cools to room temperature before opening it Firing Porcelain Glaze Porcelain pieces that have been fired together in the greenware firing cannot be fired together in the glaze firing Both pieces must be dry footed Since shrinkage has already occurred in the greenware firing the pieces will still fit even when fired separately in the porcelain glaze firing Stilts must not be used to support porcelain Porcelain softens during firing and stilts would embed into porcelain Make sure your shelves and kiln bottom have a good coat of kiln wash before firing porcelain If a piece of ware had to be supported in the porcelain bisque fire it will stand alone in the glaze fire The lower temperature will prevent sagging Vent the kiln during the first hour of firing by placing a 2 12 5 mm post under the top Wait until kiln cools to room temperature before opening the kiln Firing Stoneware Greenware or Glaze Stoneware is made from vitrifiable clays with a firing range of cones 2 10 It has a wide range of colors and tex tures and is popular with the potter because of its excellent throwing qualities Usually the greenware is fired below ma turity and on the second firing the clay and glaze mature to gether to form an integrated body glaze surface Like porcelain greenware stoneware is placed directly upon the kiln washed shelves in the greenware firing Glazed stonew
8. blunt kitchen knife plastic comb or similar blunt object com pletely around each groove Do this before the first firing be cause it may not be evident to the eye whether the coil is in its groove If the element doesn t lie flat in the bottom of its 4 Monitor the kiln during operation groove you needn t be concerned as long as the element fits all the way back into each corner and doesn t bulge outside the groove Before the kiln is fired there is minimal danger of breaking the elements After firing however the elements must be reseated if they bulge out of the groove See Reseating a Bulging Element page 18 Where to Locate the Kiln 1 Place your kiln in a well ventilated covered and pro tected area such as the garage basement utility or hobby room Some people keep their kiln outside on a covered patio This is okay as long as the kiln is not subjected to excessive humidity or rain 2 Remove gasoline paint and other flammable materials from the kiln room 3 Never allow the room temperature of your firing room to exceed 100 110 F 37 43 C Measure the temperature about 3 feet 91 cm from the kiln If necessary use fans to lower room temperature 4 Keep the kiln away from curtains or other combusti ble materials 5 Position kiln on a level fire proof surface We rec ommend an 18 x 18 457 mm x 457 mm piece of sheet metal a steel table or a large ceramic kiln shelf
9. brush is easier to use because it lays down a more even coating Each time you dip your brush into the separator mixture swirl the brush around the bottom of the container This is because the sep arator settles quickly Use two or three thin coats changing the direction of the brush stroke 90 with each coat 3 Dry the shelf before firing To speed dry place the shelf on 3 12 5 mm posts inside the kiln Heat at full rate to 300 F 148 C and hold for 15 30 min utes Then turn off the kiln and leave the shelf inside 4 After the separator has dried and your shelf is cool you can smoothen the separator further by rubbing your hand lightly over the shelf The smoother the separator the smoother the back side of the glass A coat of glass separator will usually last several firings Using Posts Ceramic posts support ceramic fireclay shelves When firing glass place 3 1 2 12 5 mm posts under the ceramic shelf on the firebrick bottom This improves heat distribution around the shelf You can fire two or more ce ramic shelves in your Caldera and one or possibly two in the FireFly When you load multiple shelves use a slower firing rate This aids in heat distribution Always fire glass on a shelf and not directly on the brick bottom Venting the Kiln Some types of firings such as ceramics or lost wax cast ing produce fumes that must be vented from the kiln Silver and gold clay need no venting un
10. glass slowly through this range so the stress in the glass will have time to dissipate If you become impatient after the glass has fused and you tilt the kiln for a few seconds to peek inside you may hear a ping which is the sound of glass cracking Avoid the temp tation to open the kiln Wait until the kiln has cooled to room temperature Some artists schedule their fusing so that it is completed before they go to bed That way they will be asleep while the glass cools and they won t be tempted to open the kiln while it is still hot After each firing examine the shelf Recoat if the kiln wash is chipped When glass sticks to a bare section of shelf the glass may crack Glass Bubbles are often caused by heating the kiln too fast Air grease or dirt trapped between layers of glass can cause bubbles Other causes are uneven glass volume and moisture or air trapped between the glass and shelf Make sure the shelf is completely dry before firing If you have applied fresh glass separator leave the shelf in the kiln at 300 F 148 C for 20 minutes Then allow the shelf to cool before placing glass on it One way to eliminate bubbles is to hold the temperature at 100 F 55 C below fusing temperature for 15 minutes This gives the shelf time to heat up to match the tempera ture of the glass Fire in a well ventilated area 15 Glass Separator Sticks To Glass when fired too hot In stead of firing to a full fuse tempera
11. not be fired with greenware unless both mature at the same cone Check to make sure that first no two pieces of glazed ware are touching each other the kiln walls the floor or the shelf and second that the underside of the kiln shelf is clean before you place it over glazed pieces Any dust fall ing on your ware will cause pinholes You can prevent glazed pieces from sticking to the shelf or kiln bottom by dry footing To dry foot a piece remove all glaze from the portion of the piece that will rest on the shelf Using a wet sponge or a piece of grit cloth clean off the glaze from the bottom of the ware and slightly above the base so that it will not run down and touch the base Dry footing should not be used for low fire glazed pieces that will be placed in water while used or cleaned During the first hour of firing vent the kiln by placing a 12 5 mm post under the top Wait until the kiln has cooled to room temperature before opening the kiln Remove the stilts from the ware after firing by breaking the thin film of glaze holding them Handle with caution the glaze is sharp where the points touch Remove the sharp stilt edges by rubbing with a stilt stone or electric grinder Firing Porcelain Greenware Loading porcelain greenware is similar to loading glazed ware since both will stick to anything during firing Greenware must be completely dry before firing including the joints on pieces that are attached Ifa p
12. temperature at which it will still take glaze Crazed ware may be refired to the proper cone CAUTION China paints and other overglazes will burn off when fired to 06 Crazing Immediately on Removing from the kiln can be caused by not firing the ware hot enough Refire to the proper cone Crazing in spots can be caused by not having mixed the glaze thoroughly before using Porcelain Bumps in porcelain are usually caused by wet greenware and overfired porcelain bisque Lack of Translucency in porcelain can be caused by the ware being poured too thick and underfired Cracks in porcelain bisque are often the result of a strain on the greenware while drying Do not force dry greenware Cracks may be mended with one of the new magic menders available from your supplier 16 Monitor the kiln during operation Kiln Maintenance Trouble Shooter Kiln Does Not Turn On Display is Blank E Make sure the circuit breaker is in the on position E Digital Kilns If the breaker is on check the kiln s fuse It is located on the kiln s switch box Remove the fuse by pressing on the fuse holder and turning counter clock wise half a turn Check the fuse by placing the probes of an ohmmeter on the ends of the fuse If the ohmmeter reads less than one ohm dig ital meter or reads 0 ohms analog meter the fuse is bad Replacement fuse AGC A 250V AC Note If you do not have an ohmmeter visually in s
13. to glass pieces laid on the shelf In powder form glass separator and kiln wash have an un limited shelf life Do not breathe the powder when mixing Caution If glass separator or kiln wash contact a heating element that element may burn out in the next firing NEVER apply glass separator or kiln wash to the walls or top of the firing chamber Haik Brush The haik brush is used to apply glass separator to the kiln shelf in a smooth thin layer The smoother the glass separator the smoother the underside of the glass Ceramic Fiber Blanket Delicate silver or gold clay shapes may need extra support during firing to minimize warping Place these shapes on a piece of ceramic fiber blanket Stilts Stilts are points embedded in a ceramic base The points separate enameling and glazed ceramics from the shelf and firebrick bottom Enameling Racks for the Caldera 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 To load and unload the rack safely use an enameling fork The heating element under power is dangerous Do not touch the element with anything Turn the kiln switch off before inserting the enameling fork into the firing chamber Place the Enameling Collar between the Caldera and the kiln bottom as shown Wear green 3 firing saf
14. with a vacuum cleaner Changing an element in a small kiln seems difficult be cause of the limited working space But as with most jobs there is a way to simplify the task The secret is first to bend the element where it will fit into the firebrick corners Do this before you install the element No tools are needed to bend the element See photo top of next page left column 7 Place the new element on top of the kiln walls In that position align an element end with one of the holes where the element enters the firing chamber The holes are behind the porcelain insulators and ele ment connectors you removed in steps 4 and 5 8 Bend the element with your hands where the element aligns with the first groove corner Continue making the bends for the other three corners 9 The other end of the element should line up with the second element hole Stretch or compress the ele Fire in a well ventilated area 19 prevent insulators from slipping away from brick wall Use stainless screw in the element connector to hold the element The brass screw holds the lead wire eyelet Hold connector with locking pliers as you tighten the screw with the 4 nutdriver Tighten the screw to 30 inch pounds about 1 4 turns past the point of firm resistance Bend the element at the corners before installing it You can tell where to Hold the element connector with locking pliers when bend the element by placing it on top of the kil
15. AAA NINNA WALL KL V KK A KWH KAL AL AAS xX Ne KANG A ALO A KX KA AMX A Ny KNININ NN ON lt 4 s Z a ye g WAXES X A NN E ANANN NOO AX Ly A A V INNIN NYIN SAA ALS AZ IK ALAXX IN N AAA MAA K LXS j ALM KAAS ANINI NNN UAKYXS l A When firing counter enamel underfire it so that the fire scale on the front of the piece isn t too difficult to remove You can purchase a masking preparation from your supplier to help prevent fire scale You must place the piece ona stilt when firing the other front side of the piece The stilt pre vents the back of the counter enameled piece from sticking to the enameling rack Applying Enamels Apply enamel over a clean sheet of paper so you can pour the excess back into the bottle for reuse Transparent enam els should be applied in several thin coats and can be mixed with fairly good results If opaque enamels are mixed how ever a grainy effect results The two basic methods of apply ing enamels are by sifting or by using a spatula Sifting Enamel Spray or brush Thompson holding agent onto the copper Then sift a 1 32 79 mm layer of enamel onto the copper Use a 60 mesh sifter If the coat is too thin you can easily add another 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 thi
16. Color Load overglazed ware the same way you would load ce Heated at 27 F 108 F 270 F Per Hour Per Hour Per Hour 022 1087 1094 Green l S Sa China paints will crack or peel if overglaze is applied 021 1112 1143 Fuschia heavily Apply several light coats instead firing between 020 1159 1180 Orange each until you get the shade you want Not all china paint 1213 4252 4283 Yellow colors reach maximum color saturation at the same temper ature even when fired on the same ware So you must know 1267 1319 1353 White which colors you should fire first at higher temperatures to 1301 1360 1405 Pink prevent burning out the original colors in later firings For 1368 1422 1465 Light Blue example reds mature at a lower temperature than other col 1382 1456 1504 Violet ors and are fired after the other colors have been fired Reds and yellows should not be fired side by side Colors also ma ramic glaze Use stilts and make sure ware is not touching other ware Ware must be completely dry before firing 1395 1485 1540 Gray ture at a lower temperature on ceramic pieces than on porce 1485 1539 1582 Green lain or hard china Check the overglaze manufacturer s liter 1549 1582 1620 Fuschia ature for the best cone to use with each color and type of ware T E i R L Vent the kiln during the first hour of firing by placing a 1 2 1636 1657 1679 Dark Red 12 5 mm post under the kiln top Allow kiln to c
17. VARS 7 O N7 AOA X 4 DX i DYN IX Q IION YN wana ww YK AN me DAA NA N AAAA AZAA AAAA AAN DAAA NAVAA vo A YYYYV AW AAN X A AADA AAA SX V VIIS N e N AN VON A NN A ae im a Sia s Printed in USA Introduction Thank you for choosing a Paragon kiln We have designed it to give you many years of reliable service Please read this manual It will help you gain the most enjoy ment from your kiln It will show you how to avoid damaging the kiln and will answer many questions If your kiln is digital your in struction packet will include a separate digital controller manual Please save both manuals and write your kiln s serial number on the inside cover of both manuals Recommended reading At www paragonweb com select Products then Books amp DVDs from the drop menu The books we recommend will enhance your kiln experi ence You can also email or phone us with questions We are glad to help Online videos At www paragonweb com you will find online 4a s Videos for many of the procedures shown in this manual Pe As you read each section you can go online to watch an y actual demonstration on your computer Check the videos before performing kiln maintenance procedures Inspect the kiln When you receive your kiln check the carton for damage Check the kiln for both interior and exterior damage If the kiln is damaged you can refuse the shipment and have it re
18. aces that will be in contact with food or drink Follow the glaze or glass manufacturer s instructions exactly without any variations Mastering Cone 6 Glazes by John Hesselberth and Ron Roy covers food safe stoneware glazes in great detail We recommend this book to every potter The Optional Glass Window The glass window on the kiln top is rated to 2300 F 1260 C so it can easily withstand glass fusing temperatures Please note however that the window reduces the kiln s maximum temperature to approximately 2100 F 1148 C and is meant for glass fusing You can still fire porcelain and stoneware even with the window but you will need to plug the window with ceramic fiber The ce ramic fiber should fill the entire window cavity in the firebrick top Insert the fi ber plug so that it fits se curely against the view port Friction will hold the fiber plug in place You can also temporarily plug the glass view port to re duce heat loss when firing silver clay and other materials that do not need visual inspection If you ever need to order a re placement fiber plug please specify view port size 2 x 2 or 50mm x 50mm Note Always wear green 3 firing safety glasses when looking through the view port into the hot fir ing chamber To find the glasses enter firing safety glasses in the search line at www paragonweb com Important Safety Rules An electric kiln is extremely safe to operate provided
19. aning and Gluing the Glass Grease dirt and fingerprints etch permanently into the glass during firing Clean the glass with glass cleaner the type without silicones rubbing alcohol or even plain water just before assembling the pieces on the kiln shelf Use an inexpensive hair spray to hold the glass pieces to gether after you place them on the kiln shelf You could also use Elmer s white glue diluted 1 1 with water Apply only a pinpoint of Elmer s with a toothpick Avoid using glue on the coated side of dichroic glass If you lay dichroic glass care fully onto the piece glue is unnecessary so avoid it alto gether if you do not know which side of the dichroic is coated Load Glass ma the Kiln Air should circu late between the shelf and the bottom of the kiln so place three or four 2 12 5 mm posts in the kiln Lay the shelf over the posts Firing the Glass Firing speed varies depending on the size and thickness of the glass project The thicker and larger the project the slower you must fire it Otherwise the glass may crack Small jewelry pieces such as earrings can usually fire at full speed Firing Schedules A firing schedule is a set of temperatures and rates of speed needed to fire a glass project We have not included fir ing schedules in this manual because we feel that you should use the firing schedules formulated by the glass manufac turers Please visit their websites to see their
20. are must not touch any other ware and must be dry footed before you place it on a kiln washed shelf or kiln bottom Never stilt stoneware during either firing Glaze Testing Make batches of uniform clay shapes such as circles or triangles Each shape should have a smooth section and tex tured section Glaze the test shapes Prop them up vertically inside a dish and fire them Keep detailed records in a glaze notebook Save the test samples since they will become valu able later Fire in a well ventilated area 13 Silver amp 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 met als as silver 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 Its surface is pliable and accepts impressions from objects suchas leaves coins and coarse fabrics After the sil ver clay is formed it is fired in a kiln The recommended temperature and hold time are included with the silver clay Forming and firing silver clay is simple There is nothing mysterious about making silver clay jewelry The clay is made of micron size silver or gold particles held in an or ganic binder During firing the binder burns away The sil ver particles then fuse together forming real silver Since the binder disappears there
21. asily handle them carefully Store them in plastic page protectors 2 Place a polarizing film on a clean light table coated side of filter down To determine which side is coated make a tiny scratch in one corner of the film The coated side scratches off easily The uncoated side should go up to avoid scratches from contact with the glass test samples 3 Turn the light table on and dim the overhead lights Place the glass samples on top of the polarizing fil m Hold the other film over the samples and rotate the film until it turns dark Stress in the glass will appear almost magically as glowing halos around the edges of the test squares Analyzing the Test Pieces The brighter the glowing halos the b 8 Monitor the kiln during operation greater the incompatibility between the glass The base layer of glass should be clear so you can see the halos The Annealing Range Each type of glass has a temperature range that it must pass through slowly when it cools This is called the anneal ing range This slow cooling gives hot glass time to release the stress of cooling If you cool the glass too fast through the annealing range it will break The larger and thicker the glass the slower it must pass through its annealing range You cannot over anneal so err 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 Cle
22. ay also need a slower rate for hollow silver clay pieces that have core fillers to burn out If the filler is com pletely enclosed leave a small hole in the silver Note Do not place hollow silver clay pieces that have a core filler into a hot kiln The filler could flame up and crack the silver Note It is okay to place silver clay pieces into a hot kiln approximately 500 F 260 C provided the pieces are completely dry and do not contain other materials such as glass or stones Moist silver clay could explode or crack in a hot kiln Do not insert a fireclay shelf into a hot kiln After the kiln begins firing leave the top closed Do not lift the top until it is time to remove the silver clay Visual inspec tion of the clay during firing is unnecessary On the other hand if you are firing glass with the silver clay you will need to check the fusing progress of the glass by moving the Caldera kiln top 12 5 mm or more and look ing inside or by looking into the optional glass window Look for just a second or two As you gain experience you will be able to program the correct temperature for the silver clay and glass combination eliminating the need to visually check the glass FireFly Lift the lid just enough to check on the prog ress of glass Look for only several seconds at a time ing move the Caldera top slightly Look Wear firing safety glasses and inside the kiln for a second or two Wear gloves f
23. box and tighten 13 Sandpaper the eyelet of the element lead wires un til bright and clean of all oxidation Install new lead wires if insulation on old ones is brittle Use the brass screw to connect lead wire eyelets to the new element connectors Before tightening screw ad just eyelet to where it will be tilted away from heat shield when connector is attached to element Then Paragon Industries L P hold connector with locking pliers and tighten brass amp 2011 South Town East Blvd screw securely with a 4 nutdriver Mesquite Texas 75149 1122 14 Pull end of element tight and install new element amp connectors snugly against porcelain insulators to 972 288 7557 Toll Free 800 876 4328 Fax 972 222 0646 Toll Free Fax 888 222 6450 info paragonweb com www paragonweb com 20 Monitor the kiln during operation
24. comfortable working height Cal dera Remove the top FireFly Open the lid 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 screws in the element connec tors that hold the ele ment lead wires to the element you are re placing Hold the element connector with 4 On the same connec locking pliers when removing and in stalling the connector Note the por tors loosen the screws celain insulator behind the element that hold the element connector and throw old connec tors away Always use the new connectors furnished with the new element 5 Remove and save the porcelain insulators that were behind the element connectors 6 Remove the old element carefully to prevent breaking the lip of the element grooves Begin to push one end of the element into the firing chamber Before the el ement touches the groove lift the ele ment up and guide it out of the groove using the short section of an allen wrench After that the rest of the ele ment usually co mes out of the groove effortlessly If the old element burned out due to contact with foreign materials there will probably be a melted glazed spot in the element groove Glazed spots left in the grooves may ruin the new element so dig out any of these spots The small hole left in the groove will not affect the new element Remove small pieces of firebrick from the grooves
25. cones Digital Kilns Pro gram your controller to the cone recommended for the ceramic ware that you are firing Use Cone Fire mode Manual Kilns For small ceramic pieces such as figurines fire at a rate of about 400 F 222 C per hour Ceramic jewelry can be fired even faster Fire to the temperature shown in the 108 F column of the Temperature Equivalents chart for the cone number you are firing See next page Before deciding on the firing speed of important pieces test fire samples An under fired cone Viewing the Cones Move the Caldera kiln top 2 1 12 5 25 mm to see the cone on the shelf Be sure to wear firing safety glasses and heat resistant gloves Turn the kiln off when the cone bends to 6 o clock FireFly Lift the lid just enough to check on the prog ase a ress of glass or pyrometric wit Caldera To look at the glass during ness cones Look for only sev ing move the Caldera top slightly Look eral seconds at a time Wear inside the kiln for a second or two Wear firing safety glasses and firing safety glasses and gloves gloves Fire in a well ventilated area 11 F Temperature Equivalents For Orton Firing Overglaze Self Supporting Pyrometric Cones Overglaze is decoration applied over fired glaze or pol ished porcelain bisque Overglazes include china paints Cone Self Supporting Cones Pre Fire gold and luster which fire from cone 022 to 014 Number
26. e fired 7 2194 2262 2295 Orange causing the glazed surface to crack This is called crazing 8 and is most often due to underfired greenware To hel 2212 2280 2320 Yellow eliminate crazing fire greenware at ie one cone ie 2235 2300 2336 White than glaze and even hotter if glaze can still be applied easily 10 2284 2345 2381 Pink to the hard bisque While glaze may be applied to greenware and fired once separate firings produce better quality so we do not recommend single firing of greenware and glaze co Rate of temperature increase during last 90 120 minutes of firing Tables by courtesy of the Edward Orton Jr Ceramic Foundation Vent the kiln during the first hour of firing by placing a 2 12 5 mm post under the top Allow kiln to cool to room temperature before opening 12 Monitor the kiln during operation Firing Low Fire Glaze Low fire glazed ware must not touch each other the floor or a shelf in your kiln during firing If this happens they will permanently bond together by melted glaze and be ruined 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 Use stilts to support low fire glazed ware during firing The shelf tops and kiln floor MUST be kiln washed with all purpose high fire kiln wash for protection from glaze drops Glazed pieces must be thoroughly dry before firing and should
27. e new thermocouple and the ce ramic block Follow the color coding Securely tighten the 4 screws in the ceramic block 5 Fasten the ceramic block to the heat shield with the two screws removed in step 3 6 Digital Kilns Remove the controller faceplate from the front of the switch box 7 Digital Kilns Remove the two thermocouple AAG OE eine KILN wires attached to the back i of the controller They are held in place by button connectors To remove the wires press down on the button connectors and pull the wires out Manual Kilns Remove the two thermocouple wires from the back of the pyrometer 8 Strip 2 12 5 mm of insulation from the ends of the new thermocouple wires Be sure the wire ends are separated where the insulation has been stripped If bare ends touch the thermocouple will not work properly 9 Attach the wires to the back of the controller or pyrometer One wire is yellow the other red Make sure the wires connect to the correct terminals which are color coded Reinstall the controller to the switch box 10 Position the thermocouple wires so they are away from the hot sides of the kiln case and other electrical wires Placing thermocouple wires next to or looped around other wires could cause erratic controller readings 11 Check that no wires touch the kiln case or element connectors Wires touching element connectors or kiln case will burn Reinstall switch box
28. eave it closed until the clay silver is ready to re move The kiln needs venting if you fire ceramics with the clay silver or if you make hollow objects that contain a core of or ganic materials In those cases vent the lid during the first hour of firing by placing a 12 5 mm post under the kiln top When the venting is com pleted remove the 2 12 5 mm post to conserve en ergy for the rest of the fir ing When firing cork clay vent the top with the 1 2 12 5 mm post from the beginning until around 800 F 430 C Hold for 1 hour After the hold remove the 1 2 12 5 mm post Caution When venting materials such as cork clay vent the kiln with a 2 12 5 mm post at the begin ning of the firing Starting the venting period later may cause the organic materials to flame up for a moment Should this happen close the top all the way so the flames can die out safely Note Cork clay cereal pasta and bread are good core materials Do not use wax or styrofoam as a core They emit harmful fumes Rate Temperature and Hold Each brand and type of silver clay fires at a specific rate temperature and hold time This information is available from your silver clay supplier Select the heating rate that the silver clay manufacturer recommends if you are firing silver clay alone If you fire glass or ceramics with the silver clay select a rate best suited for the glass or ceramics You m
29. eck 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 possi ble If you must use one never use one smaller than 12 gauge and longer than 20 feet 6 09 m Never plug it into a ceiling outlet Voltage fluctuation can vary firing time from as little as half to more than twice the average time If the voltage is too low the kiln may never reach full temperature The receptacle must have a separate safety grounding wire This protects you from serious electrical shock Changing the cord plug will void your warranty The Caldera Kiln Stand _ Find a fireproof surface for your Caldera We rec ommend a large ceramic kiln shelf or steel table Place the kiln on the steel 3 stand that is included with the kiln Caution The stand MUST be under the Caldera kiln during firing It helps dissipate heat from under the kiln Seating the Elements Shipping may dislodge the elements of your kiln Please perform the kitchen knife test to make sure the elements are seated in their grooves Kitchen Knife Test Caution Always unplug kiln before touching an el ement with anything Touch only a cold ele ment never a hot one with a plastic object such as acomb Plastic will melt and ruin a hot element Press the elements into their grooves by running a
30. ects firing temperature to a larger degree than at high temperatures To hold at a low temperature heat the kiln slowly Other wise the temperature may overshoot the hold temperature before the heating element cycles off Avoid Contaminating the Heating Element Contact with silica or silica bearing compounds such as kiln wash glass separator alumina hydrate glass enameling powder and ceramic glaze will ruin the heating element Note If glaze or glass drips onto a firebrick wall unplug the kiln and dig out the glaze with a screw 6 Monitor the kiln during operation driver Otherwise it may melt into a brick groove during the next firing Loading the Kiln Place Ware on the Kiln Bottom or on a Protective Shelf Ceramics can be fired directly on the firebrick bottom or ona shelf Fire glass only ona shelf or mold never directly on the brick bottom Types of shelves and containers Fireclay Shelf Ceramic fireclay shelves available from Paragon protect the fir ing chamber bottom and provide a smooth surface Use a ceramic shelf in your kiln to fire ceramics glass and china painting Support delicate silver clay pieces by pouring a mound of vermiculite or alumina hydrate onto the fireclay shelf Insulating Firebrick Piece Insulating firebricks are porous light weight and can be shaped to support del icate silver clay designs Carve the firebrick with a knife or hacksaw You can also fill the
31. er This indicates that the grease has vaporized Do not fire the copper any longer than this point Otherwise excess fire scale will form making the next cleaning step difficult 2 After the copper cools brush any loose scale from the copper Use a brush or paper towel being sure that you do not put any grease or oil onto the copper such as fingerprints Clean the copper with a 3M Scotch Brite pad This pad does such a good job that in most cases no further cleaning will be re 10 Monitor the kiln during operation quired Additional copper cleaning products are avail able in the Thompson Enamel Catalog including Sparex No 2 It is best to clean the copper just before you decorate it If you wait too long to decorate after cleaning the copper could get dirty again Decorating the Copper Counter Enameling Most enameled pieces should be counter enameled on the back side This gives the piece a much more finished look it eliminates a great deal of fire scale cleaning and it controls the chipping and cracking that can result from the different rates of expansion and contraction in copper and enamel after the enamel has been fired Counter or backing enamel a mixture that gives a mottled effect can be used for counter enameling Or you can use regular enamel Counter enamel is applied by the sifting method described next Narang aval L V A A AKA ALLA Ai AAG AL AZ S NJ gt G y KA A
32. ety glasses and pro tective gloves Safety Glasses Wear clear safety glasses when cutting or chipping glass Wear firing green 3 safety glasses when looking into a hot kiln such as when checking the progress of glass Important Guidelines The Clicking Noise Do not be concerned if your kiln makes a clicking sound during firing Digital kilns contain a relay which sends power to the element The relay clicks as it cycles on and off to maintain the correct temperature Manual kilns use an in finite control switch that clicks as it cycles on and off Manual Kilns The Infinite Control Switch The manual kilns use an infi nite control switch A bimetallic timer inside the switch cycles on and off to regulate heating The higher the switch setting the longer the element stays on dur ing each cycle On High the ele ment stays on continuously This is why the clicking noise stops af The pilot light serves as the ter the switch is turned to High pointer mark for the infinite control switch knob Check Thermocouple You will find a rod called the thermocouple extending into the firing chamber of the Caldera Caldera S and the Digital FireFly kilns The digital controller senses temperature by reading a small voltage from the thermocouple If the tip of Fire in a well ventilated area 5 this rod is pushed out of the firing chamber the kiln will assume that the firing chamber is cold O
33. gital Kilns Only 1 UNPLUG kiln 2 Remove the four corner screws holding the control ler faceplate to the switch box Carefully lift out faceplate 3 Disconnect all the wires from the back of the board You will find two plugs and two single wires 4 Connect the wires to the new board Reinstall face plate Reseating a Bulging Element To push a bulging element back into the groove first heat the element Once an element has been fired it becomes brittle and will break if it is bent while cold Follow this pro cedure to heat the element 1 UNPLUG the kiln Heat the element with a pro pane torch until the element is red hot Press the igniter and hold the flame near the bulging element You will see the element turn red in just a few sec onds Then release the push button igniter Note You can purchase a propane torch from a home improvement center Buy the type that has a push button igniter A blue flame appears when you press the button The flame goes out when you re lease the button For element maintenance do not use the older manual propane torches that have the twist knob Turning them on and off is awkward when working on elements 2 With a pair of long nosed pliers shrink the bulging portion of the element by pressing the individual turns in the coils together slightly Take a little from each turn so that no two turns will be pressed tightly enough to touch 3 As the element shrinks wo
34. iece is broken be fore firing mend the break but do not attempt to fire it until the mend is also bone dry Damp greenware or damp mended areas will form bumps on the fired ware Stilts CANNOT be used to support porcelain greenware They would embed into the porcelain To protect porcelain from sticking to the shelves or kiln floor apply a coat of high fire kiln wash to the shelf tops and brick bottom Then place your ware directly on a kiln washed shelf Pieces of ware that are to be used together must be fired together such as a box and its lid Dry all purpose high fire kiln wash can be used to separate these pieces during firing 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 sil ica or high fire kiln wash to the points of contact to prevent sticking Before firing the support rolls must also be dry Since a kiln is slightly hotter near its sidewalls the side of the ware next to the walls will tend to shrink more than the opposite side This can be used to your advantage with por celain figurines that tend to warp during firing Turn the in clined side of the figure away from the elements so the heat can help hold the piece straight Make sure cones on the shelf are clearly visible At porce lain temperatures they are difficult to see Vent the kiln dur ing the first hour of firing by placing
35. iring safety glasses and gloves i m il e Caldera To look at the glass during fi Manual Kilns Select the type of silver clay that has the shortest hold time You will need to adjust the switch during the hold time to correct the temperature as it drifts Cooling Time After the clay silver has fired to completion you can lift the top an inch to speed cooling If you are firing stones glass or other materials with the silver clay it is safer to allow the kiln to cool slowly with the top down Remove the piece when the kiln reaches room temperature Combining Silver Clay With Other Materials There are two ways to fire silver clay with other materials such as glass 1 Fire the silver clay first by itself After you have cleaned and polished the silver clay fire it a second time with glass 2 Fire the silver clay and other materials such as a stone together in a single firing Glass is often fired with the silver clay in a single firing Many types of glass however will melt at silver clay tempera tures If you are going to combine glass and silver clay in a single firing test a small sample of the glass To do this fire the glass during a silver clay firing keeping the glass sepa rate from the silver clay piece to avoid ruining the silver Place the pieces on a ceramic fireclay shelf You must coat the shelf with glass separator or otherwise the glass sample will embed into the shelf If the glass sample surv
36. is a certain amount of shrinkage during firing Shrinkage varies depending on the type of sil ver clay you use Drying Time Small thin silver clay pieces can be placed into the kiln while they are still moist and fired Thicker pieces need time to dry Otherwise they may warp during firing Note To speed drying use a hair dryer or dry silver clay pieces near the kiln as it fires As a general rule if the silver clay piece feels cool against the inside of your wrist it is still wet Loading the Kiln Silver clay pieces that have a flat side can be placed inside the kiln directly onto a soft ceramic fiber shelf E Silver clay pieces can be close together but they must not touch E For more uniform heat place 1 2 12 5 mm posts under the soft ceramic fiber shelf E Do not coat the ceramic fiber shelf with kiln wash or glass separator E You can also place the silver clay on a piece of ceramic fi ber blanket especially delicate rounded or hollow shapes that may need support to prevent collapsing If you are firing silver clay by itself on fireclay shelves you do not need kiln wash But if you com bine the silver clay with glass coat the fireclay shelf with kiln wash or glass sep arator Place the clay silver on a ceramic fi ber shelf which has a soft surface 14 Monitor the kiln during operation Venting the Kiln Silver clay by itself needs no venting Load the kiln lower the lid and l
37. ives the fir ing you can fire that type of glass with silver clay in a single firing Note however that different types of glass fire to dif ferent temperatures Firing Mistakes Silver Clay Cracks that appear in fired silver clay may be due to too much water in the silver clay before it was fired Another cause is careless handling of a dried unfired piece To repair fill the crack with silver clay and fire again Brittle Silver clay will not reach full strength if underfired You may be able to save the piece by firing again to the correct temperature and hold Try firing the kiln 25 F 14 C hotter or lengthening the hold time Too Much Shrinkage When silver clay is overfired it shrinks too much and loses detail If the kiln is firing hotter than the temperature programmed check the position of the thermocouple See Temperature is Inaccurate page 16 Replace the thermocouple if it is old Glass Glass Cracking is caused by heating or cooling too fast or fusing incompatible glass Not enough glass separator on the shelf can also cause glass cracking Most problems in fusing are caused by rushing the firing The glass must change temperature slowly during the criti cal temperature range of 100 500 F 37 260 C This critical range applies to both heating and cooling The second critical temperature range is annealing which is the cooling range of 950 750 F 510 398 C aver age Cool the
38. latest firing schedules For a list of useful website addresses visit www paragonweb com and click on Support Then select Resource Links from the drop menu Viewing the Glass During Firing Watch the glass through the optional window in the top of the kiln If you do not have the window move the standard Caldera top over just enough to where you can see inside the kiln Look for several seconds at a time Wear green 3 firing safety glasses and protective gloves Note When you move the Caldera top do not slide it or dust particles could land on the glass Gently lift it slightly With every firing be sure you are near the kiln before the expected shut off time Digital Kilns The first time you fire a particular brand or type of glass FireFly Lift the lid just i i i enough to check on the prog Caldera To look at the glass during fir ress of glass Look for only ing move the Caldera top slightly Look several seconds at a time inside the kiln for a second or two Wear Wear firing safety glasses and firing safety glasses and gloves gloves program the controller for a higher temperature than the es timated fusing temperature Shut the kiln off when the glass fuses the way you want Make a note of the shut off tempera ture For future firings program the kiln for that rate and temperature Manual Kilns Shut the kiln off when the glass fuses the degree that you want Make a note of the shut off tempe
39. less you are firing them with a material that burns out to produce a hollow shape or you are combining them with other materials such as glass To vent the kiln place a 12 5 mm post under the top When the venting is completed remove the 1 2 12 5 mm post to conserve energy for the rest of the firing Venting will be explained in greater detail in sections on glass and ceramics Glass Fusing amp Slumping You will probably fire mostly art glass but you can also fire standard float window glass Some types of float glass de vitrify form a dull frosty surface when fused Caution Never fire tempered glass It could ex plode if heated inside a kiln Basic Glass Tools Reservoir Glass Cutter uses a reservoir of oil to lubri cate the cutter wheel Running Pliers are for breaking glass after scoring Breaking Pliers are for controlled breaking after scor ing Grozing Pliers shape the glass by chipping away uneven edges They are often used when the score line doesn t break clean Note that rough edges will become smooth when fired to fusing temperature How to Cut Glass Caution IMPORTANT Wear safety glasses when cutting or chipping glass 1 Lay the glass ona clean surface Mark off the cut with a grease pencil or felt tip pen A small mark on each end of the glass will do Lay a wooden straight edge over the glass and line it up with the marks you just made Fire in a we
40. ll ventilated area 7 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 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 should break cleanly Fusing Compatibility of Glass When glass changes temperature it expands and con tracts The rate at which glass changes size is called the coef ficient of thermal expansion COE If you fuse two glass pieces together and one changes size faster or slower than the other the fused piece may crack even several months after it is removed from the kiln Viscosity is the measure of resistance to flow within glass Glasses that do not match in viscosity will produce strain when fused together Viscosity is as important as coefficient of expansion in determining whether glass pieces can be fused together Different glasses that are close enough in coefficient of expansion and viscosity to fuse successfully without internal strain are called fusing compatible Buy glass labeled fusing compatible or fuse glass pieces together that have been cut from the same sheet At the time of printing the two most commonly used types of fusing glass were labeled COE 90 and COE 96 Do not fuse COE 90 and COE 96 to each other Test for Fusing Compatibility 1 Order two sheets of polarizing film The sheets of film scratch e
41. n as shown above removing and installing the connector ment coils with your hands if necessary to make the element reach the second firebrick hole 15 Cut off twisted end of element even with side of el ement connectors Leaving the excess element sticking out past element connector could ruin your new element The element could short out against something in the switch box 10 As you will see once the element is bent for the corners it installs easily even in a small kiln Thread the new element into an element hole The element must fit all the way into the back of each corner Note Remember if you do not push the element fully to the back side of each corner the element will not stay in the grooves when fired 11 Press element down into the lower part of the groove with a plastic comb or wooden tongue depressor Tighten the element connectors according to step 14 Then cut off the element ends 12 Reinstall the por celain insulators Push them flush against the heat shield They pro tect the element from contact with the stainless steel kiln case and heat shield so they must not work their way out after the element connector is tightened into place 16 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
42. n dig ital kilns this will result in an over fire When loading the kiln check that the rod extends into the firing chamber by 1 25 mm 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 Digital models Keep the nozzle at least 2 50 mm away from the thermocouple and the controller Static electricity from the vacuum cleaner can damage the controller Removing Hot Ware from the Caldera We recommend the Caldera Enameling Collar for removing hot ware Place the Enam eling Collar between the Caldera and the kiln bottom as shown Turn off the kiln Carefully slide an enameling fork under the shelf or enameling rack Place the hot shelf rack onto a large ceramic kiln shelf in front of the kiln Wear thick work gloves Firing Log Book Record the following information in a firing log book Date Digital Firing speed and Hold or Ramp Hold program Starting time and total firing time Type of pieces and firing results As you gain experience you will find a wealth of informa tion in your firing records Low Temperature Holds Digital Kilns A low temperature hold i e 200 300 F 93 148 C is more difficult to maintain than higher temperature holds 1400 1700 F 760 926 C At low temperatures turning on the heating element aff
43. ool to room 1665 1688 1706 Dark Red temperature before opening the kiln 1692 1728 1753 Dark Red u 1764 1789 1809 Dark Red Firing Low Fire Greenware 1798 1828 1855 Dark Red Low fire greenware has a firing range from cone 06 to 02 The greenware must be bone dry before firing Otherwise it eee ieee 18 Lark hen will crack or even explode in the kiln Check for dryness by 1870 1888 1911 Dark Red touching to cheek or inside of wrist Moist ware will be cold 1915 1945 1971 Dark Red Low fire greenware may be stacked so that it touches 1960 1987 2019 Dark Red each other It can be loaded without stilts Load pieces di 1972 2016 2052 Dark Red rectly on the firebrick bottom 1999 2046 2080 Dark Red Ware should be fired in the position in which it will be used when finished except for large pieces with flat vertical l 2028 2079 all Dark Red surfaces such as wall plaques and clocks These should be 2 2034 2088 2127 Dark Red fired flat to prevent warping Pieces to be used together 3 2039 2106 2138 Dark Red should be fired in place such as a box with its lid to ensure a 4 2086 224 261 Gray good ii 5 2118 2167 2205 Green Low fire greenware firing is simple Just be certain the 3 greenware is fired to the pyrometric cone recommended by 91 2 2133 2197 2237 White the clay supplier If the greenware is not fired hot enough 6 2165 2232 2269 Fuchsia the piece will absorb moisture after it has been glaz
44. pect the fuse You will see a thin strand of unbro ken wire in a good fuse The wire usually appears broken in a burned fuse like the filament in a light bulb Electric Circuit Breaker Trips E If the circuit breaker trips after the kiln has fired for awhile make sure no other appliances are operating on the same circuit as the kiln The breaker may need re placing E If the circuit breaker trips immediately after the kiln is turned on the kiln may have a short circuit Unplug the kiln Open the kiln switch box and look for a loose wire touching the case Temperature is Inaccurate E Make sure the thermocou ple is pushed 1 or more into the firing chamber E If the temperature is inac curate even though the thermocouple extends into the firing chamber at least 1 replace the thermocou ple 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 secur ing the thermocouple ceramic block Pull thermocouple from its firebrick hole Loosen the screws holding the thermocou ple to the ceramic block Then remove the thermocouple 4 Slide the new thermocouple into the thermocouple fire brick hole The thermocou ple should protrude into the firing chamber 1 25 mm or more To adjust the ther mocouple length change the gap between th
45. r 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 direc tion Remove and transfer one wire at a time from the old switch to the new one Make sure each connection is tight Replace push on con nectors and wires damaged by heat If wire connec tors do not fit snugly on terminals gently squeeze the end of the terminal with pliers See photo bot tom of page 17 Remove the single nut from the front of the defec tive switch Remove the switch and put the new one in place making sure it is right side up Reinstall the shaft nut checking to be sure it is not backwards Tighten the switch so that it will not turn during op eration Pyrometer Remove the thermocouple wires from the pyrometer and the four 7 mm nuts holding the pyrometer in place Install the new pyrometer The 18 Monitor the kiln during operation red wire attaches to the negative terminal the yel low to the positive 3 Check to see that wires are not touching kiln case or the element connectors Wires touching element connectors or the kiln case will burn Move switch box into place and reinstall switch box screws Replacing the Temperature stioldehcndd Di
46. rature shown on the pyrometer For future firings begin watching the glass 100 F 200 F 55 C 111 C below the final temperature Annealing the Glass The annealing range for most glasses is between 950 F 510 C and 700 F 371 C Cool slowly through this range Leave the top closed rather than vented during cooling This will slow the cooling enough for most projects Digital Kilns If you need even slower cooling program a separate segment for cooling See the controller manual Manual Kilns If you need even slower cooling turn the kiln on again for about 30 minutes while the glass anneals Use a low to medium switch setting Note For safest cooling leave the ware inside the kiln until the kiln reaches room temperature If you remove the ware too soon the sudden temperature change can crack the piece Annealing Flame Worked Glass Beads in the Caldera Glass is sensitive to breakage as it cools through the an nealing range This is approximately 950 F through 700 F 510 C through 371 C The larger the piece the slower it must cool To safely cool flame worked glass beads anneal them in your Caldera kiln using the optional Caldera Bead Collar 1 Remove the handle from the kiln bottom Line up the holes in the bead holder see above photo Reinstall screws so that the bead holder is under the handle 2 Place the Bead Collar between the kiln and the sepa rate bottom The kiln top sho
47. recessed area of the brick with vermiculite or alumina hydrate Vermiculite is available from garden sup ply stores Caution Avoid breathing alumina hydrate dust Alumina hydrate can destroy the heating element on contact Ceramic Fiber Blanket Place the blanket scrap directly on the firing chamber bottom Use the blanket to support delicate silver and gold clay but never ceramics enameling or glass Applying Glass Separator or Kiln Wash The kiln shelf kiln bottom and sagging mold must be coated with glass separator to keep glass or ceramic glaze from sticking to them Sa A coat of glass separator or kiln wash will usually last through several firings When the shelf coating begins to crack or chip apply a fresh coat When recoating a shelf remove most of the old coating with grit cloth available from Paragon This is an abrasive coated mesh that allows resi E ear due to pass through You could also use APPIY new separator when the old coat be coarse sandpaper Removing the old ing to flake coating gives you a smooth surface to start with Then recoat the shelf using the following directions Both glass separa tor 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 The haik
48. rk it back ee the 8TOOVE Shorten and lengthen an ele and into place Work rapidly ment Use needle nose pliers and at the first sign of stiff to shorten snap ring pliers to ness in the coils stop bend engthen ing and reheat the element The elements do not have to be red to be bent safely as the stiffening can be felt through the pliers 4 To lengthen the element to fit into the corners reverse the above procedure and ex pand the distance between coils by using snap ring pli ers Use caution as your warranty covers elements that fail only in service under normal use and not from be ing broken while cold AMAR es A closeup of snap ring pliers expanding the element coils 5 When you have the coils positioned above the dropped recess in the grooves press the element into the groove with a blunt kitchen knife Note Do not use a plastic object such as a comb to press the hot element into the groove Melted plas tic ruins elements Replacing An Element Paragon replacement elements are stretched to the proper length for the Caldera and FireFly at the factory However a little stretching or compressing may be neces sary for a perfect fit It is safe to bend and stretch new ele ments before they have been fired but once fired and al lowed to cool elements become brittle and will break if bent 1 UNPLUG the kiln and allow to cool to room temper ature Place the kiln on z a table at a
49. s 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 79 mm thick Lines of contact can be formed by the spatula blade Then spray the enamels with the hold ing agent to keep the grains of enamel in place Allow the enamel to dry completely before firing Firing Enamel 1 Heat the kiln to 1450 F 787 C for most enameling Digital kilns Use a Single Segment Please see your digital controller instruction manual Segment Rate Temp Hold 1 1799 F 999 C 1450 F 787 C 01 00 Note Hold time should be the length of time you will be firing enameled pieces In the above exam ple hold time is one hour Manual Kilns Fire the kiln with the switch on High At 1300 F 700 C lower the switch setting to Medium When the temperature reaches 1450 F 787 C keep adjusting the switch to maintain that temperature 2 Lay the copper shape on an enameling rack If the part that touches the rack is enameled place a stilt under the copper Some bowls or other shapes have enameled sides that might run during firing These should be fired with a stilt even if the piece has a plain bottom Use an enameling fork to place the rack into the kiln Note
50. ted area 9 Enameling in the Caldera The Caldera Enameling Collar is necessary for firing enamel The enamel pieces are inserted and removed through the side door of the collar How to Load the Caldera 1 Open the enameling door Place several 1 2 12 5 mm 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 of the piece is enam eled support the piece with a stilt on top of the rack Place the Enameling Collar between the Cal dera and the kiln bottom as shown 3 Close the enameling door and fire the kiln See firing instructions page 11 4 To remove the piece turn off the power Open the enameling door Slide in an enameling fork and re move the enameling rack Then close the door Preparation of the Copper Enamels come in transparent or opaque They can be purchased directly from Thompson Enamel P O Box 310 Newport Kentucky 41072 Their Lead Free Enamels come ready to use no enamel washing is needed Start with one of the many pre shaped copper forms avail able or shape and trim the copper to your own design 1 Heat the copper on an enameling rack to about 1400 F 760 C to burn off oil or grease Heat the copper to just until smoke from oil or grease stops coming off the metal and its color has changed to a purple red pale green iridescence that moves across the copp
51. ture try firing 50 F 28 C cooler and holding at that temperature for twenty minutes 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 us ing 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 Loss of Color in China Paints is usually a result of overfiring or thinning your paint with too much medium when applying Faded Colors in Overglaze Decals is the result of ei ther underfiring or overfiring If pinks and reds are drab refire to a hotter cone When used with a china paint background ap ply and fire the decals first then china paint and fire again Check the recommendations of decal supplier If decal was underfired refire to proper firing cone If decal was overfired the design may be repainted in china paints and refired Weakening of Luster Colors can be due to overfiring Powdering of Luster Colors can be caused by too heavy an application Bisque Warped Ware can be caused by distorting upon removal of the piece from the mold firing too close to the elements or fir ing a piece in an unnatural position Glaze Crazing is usually caused by underfired bisque Bisque should be fired to the highest
52. uld be in place 3 Digital Kilns Program the controller in Ramp Hold for the following two segments See the separate digital controller manual If your bead making session will be longer than three hours pro gram a longer hold time in segment 1 Segment Rate Temp Hold 1 1799 F 999 C _1000 F 537 C 03 00 2 400 F 222 C 700 F 371 C 00 00 Fire the kiln When it reaches 1000 F 537 C it will main tain that temperature for three hours Manual Kilns Fire the kiln with the switch on High At 900 F 482 C lower the switch setting to Med Then keep adjusting the switch to maintain a temperature of 1000 F 537 C 4 At 1000 F 537 C the kiln is ready to receive the bead mandrels loaded with hot beads Allow a freshly fin ished bead to cool slightly before inserting This is to help prevent the bead from flattening on one side when it is placed inside the kiln Open the bead door Insert the mandrels as you complete the beads Leave the door ajar with the end of the bead man drel extending outside the kiln 5 Digital Kilns When you have finished the batch of beads perform a Skip Segment This will end the temperature hold and begin segment 2 The kiln will slowly cool through the annealing range Manual Kilns Turn the kiln off and let it cool slowly After the kiln shuts off leave the beads in place Do not re move them until the kiln has reached room temperature Fire in a well ventila
53. you follow these basic safety rules Unplug kiln when not in use Do not touch hot sides Keep unsupervised children away Place the Caldera kiln with its separate steel stand or the FireFly on a non combustible sur face In the photo below the kiln has been placed on a large kiln shelf The FireFly stand is built into the kiln Do not install closer than 12 304 mm from any wall or combustible surface The Caldera kiln top and bottom must be in place before firing the kiln The top and bot tom are attached to the FireFly Fire only in a well ventilated covered and pro tected area Keep cordset away from hot sides of kiln DANGEROUS VOLTAGE Do not touch heat ing elements with anything Disconnect kiln before servicing Do not leave kiln unattended while firing Wear safety glasses when cutting glass Wear green 3 firing safety glasses when look ing into a hot kiln Keep food away from your work area Never fire tempered glass inside a kiln It could explode Avoid firing toxic materials inside the kiln such as styrofoam used as a core for silver clay hol low beads Fire in a well ventilated area 3 Setting Up the Kiln Electrical Installation You must plug your kiln into a cir cuit 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 Ch

Caldera & FireFly Instruction & Service Manual

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Caldera &amp; FireFly Instruction &amp; Service Manual

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Caldera & FireFly Instruction & Service Manual