Vickers58 Posted February 9, 2021 Report Share Posted February 9, 2021 I’ve been gifted a really little kiln. It’s a Paragon Q-11-A and it’s chamber is about 9x9. I cannot find ANYTHING about how to use it. It has a dial with low-med-high....but that’s about it. No It hasn’t been used, but no manual. It’s manual knob seems archaic next to all the digitally advanced kilns I’ve seen available....has anyone found a manual, or possibly can advise me on how to get started? Does the small chamber change the time for firing? I don’t even know where to start. There is no kiln sitter...just that little knob that scares the hell out of me. below is a link to one of the only photos I could find on the internet. I don’t know what that thing is on top of the one pictured is. Mine doesn’t have that. Most pictures showed models that didn’t even have the dial. This is like a caveman kiln. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kielb Posted February 9, 2021 Report Share Posted February 9, 2021 Here is the manual which is in the old paragon website: https://216.198.210.227/files/manuals/IM-112_E_&_Q_Inst_&_Service_Manual.pdf This is probably a good place to start, it is fairly well written. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted February 9, 2021 Report Share Posted February 9, 2021 Is there a serial plate on it? Post all the info from the plate- voltage, amps, max temp, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted February 13, 2021 Report Share Posted February 13, 2021 vickers, if you cannot find anything else about the age of that kiln, the flooring in the photo from the internet was widely used in the early 1970s. so it is not that old. you do not need the black framed device on top to run the kiln, it is a high temperature thermometer called a pyrometer. without a sitter, you would fire this kiln using the 3 position dial to turn up the heat and judge the temperature by the color of the interior of the kiln through the round peep hole on the front of the door. pres is very familiar with that method of firing. you slide the round door on the front of the kiln open and insert the end of the pyrometer into the heated kiln to tell how hot it is at the moment you test it. the white tube in 3 sections looks like the end of the pyrometer that is inserted through the hole in the door. i have a more modern one from skutt and the protector at the end is not broken. i use it with my test kiln. the 3 position knob is quite common on manual kilns. not everyone can afford the electronic controlled kilns available today and there is really nothing wrong with using that style knob to turn your kiln up to the final temperature you choose. look on the back side of the box attached to the side of the kiln for the metal info plate neil suggests you find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick White Posted February 13, 2021 Report Share Posted February 13, 2021 59 minutes ago, oldlady said: the 3 position knob is quite common on manual kilns. I think that one is an infinite switch, not a 3-clicker. High, Off and Low are clearly visible on the top of the knob, but there are numbers partially visible around the rest of the knob. But the operation is similar. Start on Low, and turn it up periodically to keep the heat rising until the pyrometer shows the temperature has reached the desired point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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