AWPottery Posted September 15, 2013 Report Share Posted September 15, 2013 Hello everyone! I have a Paragon model SNF82 kiln and need help with knowing how to fire with it correctly. It was bought for me and I'm unfamiliar with how to use this type of kiln. It's a manual kiln and instead of having the three nobs with the high, medium, and low, it has two switches- the top one is an infinite control switch and the second one is a timer that counts backwards from its original setting until it gets to ON. I am unsure of how to bisque and glaze fire in this kiln. I've tried following the instructions listed on the side of this kiln on how to fire it, trying both a bisque firing and glaze firing (cone 06), but each time I feel like something has gone wrong. It shows that the cone has bent properly but when I tried doing a bisque firing and a glaze firing each time it only took the kiln to fire for a total of four hours and then the kiln sitter went off. I was under the impression it needs to take longer to do a proper bisque and glaze firing. I'm assuming that since the cone shows it reached the proper temperature, it did so, but was just fired too fast because in my glaze firings I've been having trouble with bubbling and pinholing. I don't know how to slow down the firings or what I'm doing wrong because each time it just seems to take the four hours or maybe a little longer and then the kiln shuts off. How long should it take to bisque fire (after the preheat) to cone 04? To glaze fire to cone 06? Is there anyone who owns this type of kiln that could help me out? I'm totally confused by the type of switches on this model kiln. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minspargal Posted September 15, 2013 Report Share Posted September 15, 2013 Call the Paragon folks in Mesquite, Texas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AWPottery Posted September 15, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2013 I've actually called Paragon and they weren't too helpful. I also went on their website to look for a manual for that specific kiln but they don't have one specific to it that I could find, only just a basic how-to firing guide which didn't help me... So anyone out there have this specific type of kiln I could talk to? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted September 16, 2013 Report Share Posted September 16, 2013 At the bottom of this page is a manual you can download on this model http://www.paragonweb.com/SNF82.cfm Your kiln should bisque fire and galze fire in about 8 hours-You can go faster with a glaze fire. I have not used a paragon but they should be able to answer your basic questions. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AWPottery Posted September 16, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2013 Mark- thank you but I actually already have that info on the service manual and kiln sitter. That doesn't seem to help me either because it doesn't talk about the specific switches on the kiln which is what confuses me. When I did a bisque and/or glaze fire it's only taking me 4 hours and not 8 which is why I can't figure out how to slow it down or get it to fire longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted September 16, 2013 Report Share Posted September 16, 2013 Ok I suggest you send a PM thats a personal message to Arnold Howard on this site just look him up under members or go to this link and you will see his answer and click on his name and send him a detailed question http://ceramicartsdaily.org/community/topic/4613-electric-kiln/ He is with Paragon and will know this kiln well and can address your question Hope this helps Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strelnikov Posted September 16, 2013 Report Share Posted September 16, 2013 The picture on the Paragon website looks similar to the S82 kiln my wife has. The top two knobs control the temperature and the bottom one on the kiln sitter sets the timer. For small things we start the firing with the upper knobs at the 1 setting and the lid propped open at the lowest notch for 1 hour. Set the timer for 6 hours for a cone 05 firing. Also plug the lower vent and leave the top vent open. Then after 1 hour close the lid and move both upper knobs to the 6:00 position. After another hour move both upper knobs to the MAX position and put a small mirror close to the upper vent. If there is no moisture coming out then plug the upper vent. Otherwise check every 10 to 15 minutes for moisture and plug the upper vent when there is no moisture on the mirror. For larger objects the ramp up has to be slower to MAX temperature. You will have to experiment to see what works best for what you are doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arnold Howard Posted September 16, 2013 Report Share Posted September 16, 2013 Hello everyone! I have a Paragon model SNF82 kiln and need help with knowing how to fire with it correctly. It was bought for me and I'm unfamiliar with how to use this type of kiln. It's a manual kiln and instead of having the three nobs with the high, medium, and low, it has two switches- the top one is an infinite control switch and the second one is a timer that counts backwards from its original setting until it gets to ON. I am unsure of how to bisque and glaze fire in this kiln. I've tried following the instructions listed on the side of this kiln on how to fire it, trying both a bisque firing and glaze firing (cone 06), but each time I feel like something has gone wrong. It shows that the cone has bent properly but when I tried doing a bisque firing and a glaze firing each time it only took the kiln to fire for a total of four hours and then the kiln sitter went off. I was under the impression it needs to take longer to do a proper bisque and glaze firing. I'm assuming that since the cone shows it reached the proper temperature, it did so, but was just fired too fast because in my glaze firings I've been having trouble with bubbling and pinholing. I don't know how to slow down the firings or what I'm doing wrong because each time it just seems to take the four hours or maybe a little longer and then the kiln shuts off. How long should it take to bisque fire (after the preheat) to cone 04? To glaze fire to cone 06? Is there anyone who owns this type of kiln that could help me out? I'm totally confused by the type of switches on this model kiln. To slow down the firing, set the bottom switch to a higher number. The numbers for the bottom switch represent hours of firing on Low. The kiln will begin to fire on High only after the number of hours on the bottom switch have elapsed. If you need to fire even slower, set the top switch to a lower number. The top switch is an infinite control, so the higher the number, the faster the kiln will fire. The firing schedule silk-screened on the switch box is only a general guide. So, feel free to alter the schedule. Sincerely, Arnold Howard Paragon Industries, L.P., Mesquite, Texas USAahoward@paragonweb.com / www.paragonweb.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arnold Howard Posted September 16, 2013 Report Share Posted September 16, 2013 Mark- thank you but I actually already have that info on the service manual and kiln sitter. That doesn't seem to help me either because it doesn't talk about the specific switches on the kiln which is what confuses me. When I did a bisque and/or glaze fire it's only taking me 4 hours and not 8 which is why I can't figure out how to slow it down or get it to fire longer. I checked the SnF-82 web page. You couldn't find the answer to your question, because one of the instruction manual links at the bottom of the kiln page pointed to an out-dated manual. Sorry. I have updated the link, so it now points to the latest manual. Please see pages 13 - 15 of the following manual: http://www.paragonweb.com/ManualInfo.cfm?CID=148 Here is the updated SnF-82 kiln page: http://www.paragonweb.com/SNF82.cfm 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...
AWPottery Posted September 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 Sorry I didn't reply back to everyone sooner... thank you all for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AWPottery Posted September 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2013 Okay, so I am going to try doing some low-fire glaze test samples to cone 06 using all the info you guys have supplied me. I am thinking that since all my other cone 06 firings took only 4 hours (which seems too fast to me; what do you all think? How long does it take some of you to fire to cone 06?)I am going to try to slow down the firing and aim for eight hours. Before I placed the first nob on Position #4 and the second nob on 2 hrs. Basically, the second nob counted backwards to the ON position for 2 hrs. and then I'm assuming that's when it swtiched from heating from low to high. So it looks like it stayed on low for 2 hrs and then on high for 2. Going on this theory, if I want it to go for eight hours then should I place the bottom nob on 4 hrs? I'm assuming it will then just take 4 hrs to heat on low and then it automatically turns on high for 4 hrs. Is this right? Or is there a way to mimmick a heating of going to low for a few hrs. then medium for a few hrs. and then high for a few hrs.? Comments/suggestions? Also, I was wondering if you guys leave the lid cracked open at all during the first stages of glaze firing at all? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shotzie Posted March 4, 2014 Report Share Posted March 4, 2014 Thank you for this information..I have been looking an looking for the hours to fire my kiln an couldn't find anything..since Cones don't work in my old old kiln..no controls nothing just a peep hole. I used this kiln years ago an I thought I fihad red my glazes an bisque the same hours..so Now I will try your way 8hrs to bisque an 6 hrs to glaze..Wow all these these years I thought it took longer for glaze. I will try this..got nothing to lose..lol except my pottery..I was going to school where all they did was high fire but that ended so had to undust my old kiln an go low fire..Thank goodness they have glazes that look kinda like High fire.Thanks ALL for the information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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