HollyCK Posted June 1, 2020 Report Share Posted June 1, 2020 Hi, I'm very much a newbie to the pottery world. I've been doing lots of handbuilding over the last couple of months and fallen in love. I've ordered a small Paragon kiln and am patiently awaiting its arrival. But this past weekend, a neighbor gave me an old Paragon A66 kiln. I have no idea if a kiln this old is useable, if it needs new wiring, elements, etc. Someone had given it to her 5 years ago, and shenalso had a box filled with kiln furniture and all of the original manuals and paperwork. According to the firing log, this kiln was last fired in 1972, the year I was born. (I do realize that the owner may have simply stopped keeping records...) The fire brick looks pretty decent, some damage on the bottom row and an element bulging a bit, I'm guessing that can be pinned in place. My questions are - can a kiln this old be used, or should the elements and wiring be replaced? Ditto for the controller. Can these be updated on an old kiln or are the electric parts so old that they need replacing? What size is the plug? I know we'd have to have the right outlet installed in our garage, but what is the correct receptacle size and is it even made anymore? The specs: 230 volts, 13 amps, 3000 watts, wire size 12, fuze size 20, plug size 20, max temp 2300, serial number 46004 Thanks very much for any input at all you can offer! Holly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted June 1, 2020 Report Share Posted June 1, 2020 I would replace the power cord for starters. I don't know why it's coming out of the top of the control box. That's a good way to burn it. It should come out on the side near the bottom where there's a cord grip. I would also inspect the wiring inside and see what kind of condition it's in. If the kiln is that old, it may be the old waxy wire, and that should be replaced. New wire is cheap, a new power cord is cheap. If the switch works, then keep it. If the elements work, keep them. The best way to check the elements is to measure their resistance with an Ohm meter. You can call Paragon to find out what the resistance should be. Once it's 10% off from new, the elements should be replaced. From the photos it looks like there's no Kiln Sitter shutoff device? If not, this would be a great candidate for an external controller. Otherwise you're going to have to use cones in every firing and watch them fall and shut it off manually. There are several external controllers on the market. Orton makes some that are made for lower amperage, however I recommend getting one made for 50 amps, so if you ever get a bigger manual kiln you could use the controller for it, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyCK Posted June 2, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2020 Thanks very much - it's extremely helpful to know where to start. We'll take take the cover off of the switch box today and see how the wiring looks. I'll also call Paragon about the resistanace so we can check the elements. There's no kiln sitter so we will definitely look into the external controller. At the very least I'm sure I'll learn a lot from this project. Thanks again for the advice! Holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Posted June 3, 2020 Report Share Posted June 3, 2020 On 6/2/2020 at 7:32 AM, HollyCK said: At the very least I'm sure I'll learn a lot from this project. Can't imagine it's worth messing with. The lid is not attached and the floor is clearly cracked all the way through, doesn't have a kiln sitter and the wiring is wrong. If I wanted a used kiln to mess with I would find one that is better off than this one. You can get decent, larger used kilns with sitters for a few hundred bucks. When is the new one coming? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michele Fry Posted September 13, 2020 Report Share Posted September 13, 2020 Hello! My mother passed earlier this year and has a Paragon Model A66 kiln with various cones that she used to fire her china/painting. I don't know anything about the kiln and am looking to sell it for my father to help with his bills. Can you give me an idea what is a reasonable price for the kiln? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted September 13, 2020 Report Share Posted September 13, 2020 9 hours ago, Michele Fry said: Hello! My mother passed earlier this year and has a Paragon Model A66 kiln with various cones that she used to fire her china/painting. I don't know anything about the kiln and am looking to sell it for my father to help with his bills. Can you give me an idea what is a reasonable price for the kiln? It all depends on where you live and the condition of the kiln, but probably in the $200-$400 range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted September 13, 2020 Report Share Posted September 13, 2020 michael, i bought the same kiln used for making dolls by a lady in Maryland. i paid $150 for it. i use it as a test kiln and am very happy to have it. when you sell it, try posting it here first, there is a section called Community Marketplace. your location is absolutely paramount. prices vary by location as neil said. what other items will be sold with the kiln? if you have shelves, posts and cones, the kiln will be more attractive to a buyer. you will need the information on the label so buyers will know the electrical requirements. it will make some potter very happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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