CALDERA kiln - Ceramic Kilns - Glass Kilns

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CALDERA

Bronze Clay China Painting Crystalline Glazes Decals Dolls Fast Firings Glass Casting Glass Fusing Glaze Testing Low-Fire Ceramics Porcelain and Stoneware Silver Clay

Product Videos

Watch & Listen to D002 Sentry Xpress Cone-Fire Demonstration (3 min)

Watch & Listen to P001 The Paragon Kiln Factory Sheetmetal Department (3 min 40 sec)

Watch & Listen to P004 The Paragon Kiln Factory Square Kiln Assembly Line (4 min 30 sec)

Watch & Listen to P005 The Paragon Kiln Factory Firebrick Room (6 min 47 sec)

Watch & Listen to P014 Paragon Caldera All Purpose Kilns (4 min 12 sec)

Watch & Listen to D001 Sentry Xpress Ramp-Hold Demonstration (7 min)

Watch & Listen to Interactive Sentry Xpress 3-key Controller Demo

Watch & Listen to P009 Paragon’s Sentry Xpress 3-Key Ceramics Controller (2 min 51 sec)

Watch & Listen to P008 The Paragon Kiln Factory Inspection Station (1 min 50 sec)

Features

Paragon Caldera

Fire silver clay, china, ceramics, porcelain, stoneware, decals, enameling, jewelry, and glass in Paragon’s digital Caldera kiln. Glass compatibility and glaze color tests are fast and easy. The Caldera fires rapidly to 2350°F/1287°C. With a separate top and bottom, it is stackable and completely portable. The kiln is easy to carry to seminars. Take it with you on vacation. For a digital kiln that can do this much, the Caldera is surprisingly affordable.

“I love, love, love the Caldera. I not only fuse glass and work in metal clay, but I teach a lot of classes, so I'm firing the kiln all the time. It is a true workhorse. In three years I have not had one problem with it. I have done drop ring vases, small pot melts, small dishes, and candleholders in it. It is inexpensive to run on 120 volts.” --Lisel Crowley

To strengthen the firing chamber, the firebrick corners are fitted together with L-shaped notches. This type of joint lasts longer than the butted joint and the "picture frame" mitered joint found on competitive brands. Rugged construction makes this kiln a little workhorse.

Imagine the glass you could make with this kiln: Sag, slump, and fuse. Make small bowls, pendants, earrings, cufflinks, and even bracelets. Enjoy the glittering beauty of dichroics. This kiln will give you a haven of creative enjoyment that you will especially appreciate when life gets hectic.

You will never outgrow a small kiln. If you later buy a larger kiln, continue to use the small one for testing or small projects. Perfect a new design in the small kiln before running production quantities in the large kiln. A small test kiln is invaluable in solving ceramic glaze problems and perfecting difficult glazes such as crystallines.

This kiln is built to last. Elements are coiled from the finest high-temperature wire available. They use heat-dissipating element connectors refined and proven over many years in Paragon kilns. The thermocouple, which senses temperature in the kiln, is protected with a high-nickel stainless steel sheath for long life.

You can order your Caldera with an optional glass window in the top. The glass window 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 Caldera switchbox is coated with a durable high temperature, water-base finish. We chose this type of paint because of the low emissions during spraying. This creates a safer working environment for our employees and cuts down on pollution. The Caldera is proudly made in America to exacting standards.

The Sentry Xpress controller fires in either Ramp-Hold or Cone-Fire mode. Control both heating and cooling with simple 3-key operation. The Caldera includes a safety on/off toggle switch.

Features of the Sentry Xpress 3-key Controller for Ceramic Kilns

Fire to a pyrometric cone by merely entering cone number and slow, medium or fast speed.

Program Review lets you check the program you are about to fire.

Set a temperature alarm to remind yourself to close a vented lid.

Design Ramp-Hold programs with up to 8 segments (steps).

Skip a segment in Ramp-Hold during firing.

Hold (soak) the temperature in both Cone-Fire and Ramp-Hold.

Control both heating and cooling in Ramp-Hold.

Add hold time in Ramp-Hold during firing.

Change the target temperature in Ramp-Hold during firing.

Temperature Display throughout firing and cooling in your choice of °F or °C

Thermocouple Offset adjusts the thermocouple readout.

Set the Delay to turn on the kiln later to suit your schedule.

Error Messages report mechanical problems such as a disconnected thermocouple, stuck relay or broken element.

12 Month Warranty

LED Lights show whether you are in program, review, or firing mode.

Colorful, illustrated instruction manual. Download it from the “Additional Information” section below to review these features in more detail.

Add 4 ½” of height to the Caldera with a collar. The Caldera-BC collar has a 7½” x 2” door on the side for annealing glass beads. The Caldera-X is the same type of collar, but without the bead door.

2 ½” insulating refractory firebricks
Dropped, recessed brick grooves protect the element for long life.
Vented switch box, heavy duty wiring for years of reliable service.
The Caldera, even with a collar, still fires to 2000°F/1093°C
4 - 2” x 2” x 2” firebrick blocks included with each kiln, to be placed under the kiln during firing.

The Caldera can ship by UPS. Enjoy lower shipping cost and faster service. Specially designed cartons and foam padding assure that the kiln will arrive safely.

The Furniture Kit

The furniture kit consists of carefully selected fireclay shelves and posts for this particular model. When estimating the price of the kiln, include the cost of furniture. The furniture allows you to stack multiple layers of ware. Without it, you could fire only the ware that would fit on the kiln bottom.

Caldera & Caldera-S Furniture Kit

1 C-7 Shelf

4 - 2” long 1” wide Square Posts

1 lb. Bag Glass Separator

Furniture Kit Shipping Weight: 8 lbs.

Emma Ralph is a prominent, full-time bead maker who lives in Coulsdon, a town in Surrey, England. She has loved making beads since her teens. “Ask any beadmaker--it's an addiction we cannot break!" she said.

Emma fires a Paragon Caldera kiln. “I use my Caldera mainly for batch-annealing small glass beads, but occasionally I fire up some PMC,” she said. “The Paragon Caldera is my first kiln. I have been so impressed with the all-round performance and service. Is there nothing that kiln can't do? It is such a sweetie! I thought the manual and paperwork that came with both the kiln and digital controller were both excellent.

“I particularly appreciate the way that there is so much information for diagnostics and repair / maintenance in the manuals,” she said. “When I showed my engineer husband the various diagrams and technical specs, he made those lovely reassuring noises of ‘ah’ and ‘I see’ that every woman loves to hear. In other words, if anything goes wrong, he can fix it . . . yeah! With so many products these days, if something goes wrong we are expected to trash it and start again. But with the Paragon Caldera, it is so refreshing how the paperwork explains that various parts will wear out from time to time and how they can be replaced.

“The tips in the manual for fusing, annealing and even using PMC were also excellent and very appreciated.

Specifications

Max. Temperature	2350F 1287C
Amps	15
Phase	1
Watts	1800
Nema	5-15P
Breaker Size	20
Circuit Wire Size	12 gauge
TUV tested to CSA and UL Standard 499	Y
CE	N
Control Type	Sentry Digital 3-key Ceramics
Voltage	120
Hertz	60
Disclaimer: The specifications above assume that the kiln will be plugged into a dedicated circuit. Local electric codes supersede our recommendations. The pricing and electrical specifications for the above products reflect their design for use in the United States. The International versions of most models will have variations in electrical specifications and price due to consumer safety requirements or electrical regulations.

Sides	4
Chamber Volume	0.25 CU.FT. 7.08 litres
Chamber Width	8.00 203 mm
Chamber Depth	6.75 171 mm
Chamber Height	8.00 203 mm
Outer Size	13.00W x 19.50D x 11.80H Inches 330W x 495D x 300H mm
Ship Size	25.00W x 18.00D x 18.00H Inches 635W x 457D x 457H mm
Ship Weight	46.00 Lbs. 20.87 Kg.
Ship Method	This Kiln Ships Via UPS


Part Number	S0743-1 * Base Model
Price	$745.00
Quantity

Lampwork beads, Bullseye glass and Raku, annealed in the Paragon Caldera. “My Caldera has performed above and beyond my expectations.” -- Dona Burns of Canyon Lake, Texas

Options
	Part Number	Description	Quantity	Price
	FSCALDERA	Recommended furniture kit for the CALDERA and equivalent sized kilns. Paragon's durable cordierite shelves resist warpage and thermal shock. They are volume-stable. (Note: The photo shows a general assortment of furniture rather than the exact conten		$29.00
	Doll Video	90 minute VHS tape packed with tips on pouring, cleaning and firing porcelain dolls. Plastic library case.		$20.00
	Firing Safety Glasses	Wear firing safety glasses whenever looking into the firing chamber of a hot kiln. Filters the infra-red and ultra-violet light. Reduces glare, makes pyrometric cones easier to see.		$19.50
	2 inch x 2 inch Glass Window, Caldera	Watch the bright red kiln interior through the optional 2” x 2” high-temperature glass window, which is rated to 2300°F. This is especially convenient for glass fusing. Watch your glass treasures progress through every stage from tack fuse to full		$40.00