I need to replace my current enameling kiln with one that works on 110V electricity. Any comments on what is currently available? I’ll use it primarily for jewelry, so medium size is fine. And I’d like a good controller for temperature, but I don’t need all the bells and whistles. I would like a kiln door that opens smoothly, without jarring the enamels.
I’ve read mixed reviews about Paragon kilns, so I’d appreciate your thoughts.
Marcie Rae
I just bought a Table Top melting furnace and have been happy so far. They appear to also make enameling furnaces…Rob
I’m not an enamelist, but I reached out an art professor friend who specializes in enameling to see what she would recommend. Here’s what she said. Hope that helps a bit. I’m surprise by how expensive they are!
"As for kilns, my favorite is the Vcella Vcella Kilns Products
Our school uses both paragon and vcella but the students seem to really like the paragons.They heat up fast and have pretty easy controllers. They are also a little cheaper than vcella, but kilns have gotten expensive. Looking for a used one online is the option I tell students who don’t have the money for a new one. Patience can pay off. I have a little generic one that is old but wonderful. I am using it today. $60 on Craig’s list - 15 years ago though. Replaced the elements once for $35.00, If well cared for they last a very long time."
Vicellas are the cadillac of enameling kilns. I wish I could afford one. Instead, I have a nice old Paragon, non-digital, with firebrick, that I use only for enameling. Paragon makes a digitally-controlled kiln, the SC2, that I use for sintering metal clay, and can also be used for enameling. It is less expensive than the Vicella, though it’s not inexpensive. Occasionally these SC2’s show up on ebay and also on Metal Clay Madness group on facebook, for reasonable prices. They are used, but sometimes they show up because someone decided not to use metal clay anymore and these might be in spectacularly great condition. Like this one on ebay https://www.ebay.com/itm/386793803501?itmmeta=01HQ6RPTYYF16K7KGYYW0P9Q7B&hash=item5a0eb50eed:g:FIUAAOSwMB1l07vT&itmprp=enc%3AAQAIAAAAwJO28sCqlSZ2ECuOPjqdMLolSdwqMN3pXzZJmdVI0NK%2FYXBvNRfOj%2FatBFQ93ex7lmBjHUYGI3TdlXC5S%2Fli5OGUWatiDXpWxqdaZDofYPhc4vBInwyUapKDhDqQ7jvV9Pk%2FHGiLkEfFYQWUKI0Lipd71W5gbxKEUF1pR5quDcS2oD6tha%2FaTI8OuIR4QyJL711%2FmmsMNiOqp0sVBiGXPtZkxWrNegXepD8531TVwE2K0zo5BkISZKtzwgqQHl8rJg%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR8Sv29i5Y
This may not work for everyone all the time, but I routinely strip off everything from the ? onwards in the URL and post the much, much shorter resulting URL. I see no reason why I should allow an URL to broadcast secret stuff such as my IP, and goodness knows what else, without my easily being able to find out what!