~janie Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 Well, here we go again. We just get our kilns sorted and set up and something new comes into the studio. My husband's boss was excited to find out that I was a potter this past weekend. It turns out that when he purchased another business, it included a Paragon kiln! He calls it 'that box', and couldn't for the life of him figure out why it would be there (at an engineering firm). Anyway, he gave it to us, and Bobby went to pick it up today. It is a Paragon model # A33B. The tag says 120/240/3W volts, 25.9 amps, Phase 1, Max temp 2300. We were kind of impressed that it came with a LOT of stilts, of all sizes, and many of them are covered with glaze. We were amazed that two shelves (5/8") are warped, and one has broken across the middle. There are two switches. No kiln sitter. How do I use this kiln, what is it for? I have a Recommended Firing Schedule that estimates 6-9 hours to the max temp from zero. It also has a strange plug on it that has an extra wire. Any ideas? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justanassembler Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 I dont know exactly which plug you've got on there, but examining NEMA diagrams and matching it to what you have will tell you--in fact over at http://www.paragonwe...ion_Manuals.cfm there is an electrical installation document (as well as a service manual for a series kilns) that should contain what you need. As to the switches, they likely each independently operate a set of elements. One would control the ramp by turning them on in sequence... Are these three way switches, or simply two position toggles (as in a light switch or similar)? If they are two position toggles and you plan to use the kiln, changing them for three position switches will give you more control. It sounds like a very old style kiln and you would need to either add a kiln sitter or use witness cones to gauge your temperatures. I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arnold Howard Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 Well, here we go again. We just get our kilns sorted and set up and something new comes into the studio. My husband's boss was excited to find out that I was a potter this past weekend. It turns out that when he purchased another business, it included a Paragon kiln! He calls it 'that box', and couldn't for the life of him figure out why it would be there (at an engineering firm). Anyway, he gave it to us, and Bobby went to pick it up today. It is a Paragon model # A33B. The tag says 120/240/3W volts, 25.9 amps, Phase 1, Max temp 2300. We were kind of impressed that it came with a LOT of stilts, of all sizes, and many of them are covered with glaze. We were amazed that two shelves (5/8") are warped, and one has broken across the middle. There are two switches. No kiln sitter. How do I use this kiln, what is it for? I have a Recommended Firing Schedule that estimates 6-9 hours to the max temp from zero. It also has a strange plug on it that has an extra wire. Any ideas? Thanks. Your A-88B kiln has a 4-wire plug because it uses the line neutral to carry current on Low and Medium switch positions. For that reason the line neutral is not used as a grounding (safety) wire. The fourth wire is the grounding wire, which is connected to the case. The electric circuit that you have installed should be 4-wire. Sometimes electricians want to install a 3-wire circuit and then connect the neutral and grounding wires together inside the wall outlet. This practice is against the factory recommendation. The kiln's firing schedule: http://www.paragonwe...s/A-82B-FSP.pdf The instruction manual: http://www.paragonwe...al_July2010.pdf Good luck with your kiln! It is an early classic, and at one time one of our most popular models. Firing a switch-operated kiln will teach you a lot. Sincerely, Arnold Howard Paragon Industries, L.P., Mesquite, Texas USA ahoward@paragonweb.com / www.paragonweb.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~janie Posted June 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 Thank you so much for the info. I really appreciate it, especially as my husband was wanting to do exactly as you described. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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