Introduction
Thank you for choosing a Paragon FireFly kiln! We have
designed it to give you many years of reliable service.
We have included a copy of “Paragon Caldera Instruction
& Service Manual” in your instruction packet because the
Caldera kiln is so similar to your FireFly. As you read the
Caldera manual, skip over references to the following:
■
The support blocks placed under the Caldera
■
Enameling
■
Annealing flame-worked glass beads
■
The digital controller
Important Safety Rules
An electric kiln is extremely safe to operate provided you
follow these basic safety rules:
●
Unplug kiln when not in use.
●
Do not touch hot sides.
●
Keep unsupervised children away.
●
Before connecting power, place the kiln on a non-com-
bustible surface.
●
Do not install closer than 12” from any wall or combusti-
ble surface.
●
Fire only in a well ventilated, covered and protected area.
●
Keep cordset away from hot sides of kiln.
●
DANGEROUS VOLTAGE: Do not touch heating ele-
ments with anything.
●
Disconnect kiln before servicing.
●
Do not leave kiln unattended while firing.
●
Wear safety glasses when cutting glass.
●
Wear firing safety glasses when looking 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 styro-
foam (used as a core for silver clay hollow beads).
Venting the Kiln
Some types of ware, such as
ceramics, contain impurities
that burn off during firing.
These impurities must be re-
leased from the kiln at the be-
ginning of the firing. Otherwise
they can affect the quality of the
ware. To vent the kiln, place a
½” post under the lid.
Ceramic Shelves
& 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.
The Infinite
Control Switch
The infinite control switch in
your kiln is a bimetallic timer that
cycles on and off to regulate heat-
ing. The higher the switch setting,
the longer the element stays on
during each cycle. On High, the
element stays on continuously.
This is why the clicking noise
stops after the switch is turned to
High.
The pilot light above the switch
serves as the pointer mark for the
numbers on the switch knob. As you turn the knob from
LOW through MED and higher, the kiln will fire progres-
sively faster. When you turn the switch to HIGH, the element
will stay on continuously. The switch settings do not corre-
spond to a particular heating rate or temperature hold.
Keep firing records in a notebook. Write down the tem-
perature every 10 minutes.
Note:
Clip a small kitchen timer to your clothing
and wear it during kiln operation. Set the timer to
remind yourself to check on the kiln every few
minutes.
Switch Positions
Turn the switch to a slow setting such as 1 or 2 espe-
cially if you are firing ceramics or thick glass. If you
want to fire faster, turn to MED.
At 1000°F turn the switch higher.
If you are firing glass,
lift the lid just enough
to check on the prog-
ress of the glass. If you
are firing ceramics, you
can also open the lid to
see the pyrometric wit-
ness cone.
Caution:
Look at the
ware for only several
s e c o n d s a t a t i m e .
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© 2007, by Paragon Industries, L.P. IM-236/5-07
Paragon FireFly Instructions