thanks Chris - I checked out their website and they do look formidable!  What do you think of Paragon? 

Thanks for your input Trish - holy cow 13 years is hard to beat! That certainly makes the price seem worthy.

dear charlene, i have been enameling regularly for many years and when i decided to only make jewelry i had to abandon my large Paragon, and moved my smaller Neycraft fiber furnace that I owned for several years into a smaller studio.

I also got one of those for my class and it proved not so good a choice there because of the temperature being unstable in a classroom situation. So about 2 years ago I  learned about  a small digital kiln that seemed just the right size for our needs. I got one for myself and found it wonderfully easy to operate and live with, once I studied the manual.  I ordered two more of these for my classroom where one is used for pmc classes too. So far after 1 1/2 years of weekly use we had no trouble. The temps stay put the way they are set and electric costs are low and heating up the kiln takes only a few minutes. the name is Paragon Sentry Xpress and the fiber interior size is 7 1/2"-7 1/2" -5 1/2. I can e-mail you my dealer' address  who was very reliable and reasonable.

The manual includes a trouble shooting section, but thank God so far no repairs were needed. we cross that bridge..... Good luck in your decision, Ingrid Regula

I have the same question.  I've tinkered around with enameling and I think I would like to really delve into the process further.  I have a Caldera and could get the enameling collar, but I think it might be an awkward set up. I was wondering if a Beehive kiln would work well enough for jewelry pieces?  I'm not really in the market to purchase a second expensive kiln at this point.

Ingrid thanks for your reply. Is the Paragon Xpress the same as the SC2 Xpress? I didn't see one  called that one their site. Also I found  site called FrogKiln.com that sells kilns at discount! Including $150 less with free shipping for the Paragon SC2!

Yes Charlene, that is the same SC2, it comes with a door option (too complicated I think)I also had free delivery. My supplier is in NC and his name is David who helps you over the phone when needed!! email: david@kilndr.com I don't know about Frog Kiln but that sounds like a similar deal, better than Peragon or Rio, who have a hefty freight charge.  Ingrid

Charlene, I did a quick check on Paragon SC-2 kilns and found an excellent price which includes free shipping at Clay-King.com $581.88 for the plain door. http://www.clay-king.com/kilns/paragon_kilns/paragon_sc2.html. I just googled Paragon SC-2 and there it was! These kilns are drop-shipped from the factory in Texas. I bought the SC-3 a year ago and have loved it and found it very convenient and hard working.

Thanks for the tip - you can't beat free shipping

I use and like the ultra-lite kiln, but only if you are doing very small things.  I do cloisonne on silver, no larger than 2 or 2.5 inches in diameter, and flattish.  This kiln only works for this type of enameling, but it is tiny, portable and store-able.  Not really as cheap as it should be,  but less expensive than a box kiln.  You need ni-chome wire to make your own kiln furniture, and I just bought this shiny plate to use instead of the lid (not on the youtube), and that raised the temperature a lot, but reduced the size of the inside of the kiln down to maybe .75 inch.  It is really tiny, so it depends on what you are trying to make. 

Here is a youtube of me using this kiln: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqoVe5R9DBw

Thanks Lillian!  I appreciate the help!!

Enjoy your new kiln! When I was thinking - do I really need a kiln I thought of you because Chris always torchfires!!

Actually I've moved to Crozet VA and I'm loving it here! Two weeks from yesterday I'm taking a weeklong workshop with Linda Darty at Touchstone Center and I can't tell you how excited I am!!!

I just saw that Ricky Franks is teaching a workshop through Rio. Are you taking it?

Chris, are you also purchasing one of Vcella's automatic temperature controls?

Also, I would really like to know how long it takes to get up to temperature.

I having been sitting on the fence between the Vcella models 6 and 9, but haven't quite been ready to spend the $$. I would love to read your feedback on the model 6, after you get it.

Thanks, Jill

Hi Ingrid, I have the same kiln you do.  I'm having a hard time regulating the temperature, when I open the door the temperature drops all the way down to 1200  by the time it reaches 1500 the piece is over fired.  

I love my Paragon SC2.  Maybe I can help...it takes some getting used to.  First, don't assume everything will need to be fired up to 1500 because that may well be too much for some things.  It might be ok for copper pieces with no cloisonne wires.  The way to think about it is to say, ok, now I'm doing small silver pieces with cloisonne wires so I will set the kiln temp at 1425 and on each firing I will pull out as the temp reaches 1420.  I will ignore the drop to 1200 because it really doesn't affect anything and recovery is quick.  Then at another time I might be doing some copper pieces where I want some good clear flux base coats so I will set the kiln temp at 1600 and pull out as the temp reaches 1550.  I find I almost never need to open the door to check on the progress because I have gotten so good at knowing at what temperature things are going to happen.  I can even do a little testing and get amazingly perfect results with sugarfiring--for example, I might find that sugar will happen at 1382 degrees!  So just stick with it and experiment to find the best firing temperatures for the kind of work you are doing and your kiln will really help you feel in control of your enameling.  I would never go back to the traditional style kiln (and ten minutes to heat up to firing temp is a great luxury).

Thank you I'll let you know how it turns out.

Hi Dee,  I just re-read my comment, and realized that I should emphasize that I don't keep peeking at the firing progress like when you use a fire-brick kiln.  That can really slow down the whole thing and make it very frustrating.  I just stand there and watch the temp come up, and only open the door to take it out.  It seems strange until you get used to it.

Another difference between the SC-2 and the fire-brick kilns is that the SC-2 fires  the same at the beginning of the day as at the end of the day.  Fire-brick kilns build up a "wall of heat" and fire more efficiently as they have been turned on for a longer time so you have to readjust your mental evaluation of firing time (and I suppose that would account for more need for peeking).

And then, I should probably add for anyone reading this who doesn't know what we are talking about, the Paragon SC-2 is a kiln that has a "muffle" with enclosed heating elements instead of fire-bricks with exposed heating elements.  The "muffle" allows the kiln to heat up to firing temp in about 10 minutes and also accounts for loss of temp to a little over 1200 when you open the door (and then fast recovery).  Fire-brick kilns take significantly longer to heat up because they are heating the brick and they maintain heat when you open the door.  SC-2 always has a digital controller and a fire-brick kiln may or may not. 

Also, I should add, the SC-2 as it comes has a "too strong" door closing latch that kind of shakes the kiln when it closes and is not great for enameling, especially if you have delicately balanced a precious work of art.  The solution is to modify the door side of the latch by removing either the top screw or bottom screw.  The door will close securely then, but without a jarring click.

Well, enough spilling out for now.    vera

Well after a one week intensive enameling workshop with Linda Darty I'm loving the Vcella Kiln. The studio had a Paragon and two Vcellas. The door on the Paragon was difficult - since I don't expect to buy another kiln after this I'm leaning heavily toward the Vcella. The outside is stainless, which does heat up but I was glad to have had the opportunity to use both!!

Thanks for all the great input from everyone - it's so helpful to hear what those using a product think of it. I always read customer reviews before buying anything online, so this was very helpful to hear first hand opinions.

Hi Vera,  thank you for your input. 

No advice, but a story. I strolled into a bead shop with jewelry store in the back- husband & wife team. He (Maurice, lovely man) had 2 beat-up Neycraft kilns in the corner. I asked, he sold, and after replacing pyrometer, etc. , I have a very used, but reliable kiln. Temp. recovery is paramount, and I squint to see & set the timer, too. A great deal, and the results are mostly OK- cheap, and I will upgrade when I can, but.. this'll do while I am learning stuff. They are out there, and it was a joy to meet these wonderful people! Good Luck! I just need  to really work at getting better at this! Love enameling! Hope it helps.

I would like to hear recommendations (or not) for enameling kilns. I've been using one I purchased from Thompson Enamel 3 years ago which is basically homemade, not insulated but has served me well. However, I am in the market to upgrade but would like the wisdom and experience of my fellow enamelers.

Thanks!!