Evenheat or Paragon???

I was a little nervous running Stainless steels at 1900 plus with a 2000 degree element. This 2400 element gives me a bit of a cushion for high kiln temps. I thought that I would be able to reach austenizing temps above 2000 but alas, the controller won't go over 2000. I do have more confidence in the kiln at the higher firing temps.

I had to remove the top of the kiln to install the new coil. I had to remove the old coil and the staples holding it in place first, then reinstall the new coil and reinstall the staples to hold the coil in place. I carefully vaccuumed out the kiln before and after installation. I had to chip out the burned area in the coil groove where the coil had failed. The top went back in with out problems and I have used the kiln about every day since the repair...Ed
 
One interesting event we figured out, when we ramped our Paragon to temp fast, sometimes the tip of the blades got too hot and did not preform like they should have, now we set the ramp speed at 300 f. an hour and no more overheated tips. I like to use the slow ramp speed always as it can not hurt the blade and feel that heating up too fast gets some blades and parts of blades that are close to the heating elements too hot while building heat.
 
i run mine up to 2050 now and again
i have a 18.5 inch im guessing about 45 min to get up from 0 well maybe less then that i have a 7 min soak at 1575to even things out before the big push to 2050
now the wire that i have the plug set on is set up for 40 amps i think im not sure if that makes it easer to pull in the power or not
man i brushed up on the side of the kiln the other day it sure let me know not to do that again 300-400 sounds abouit right
o and i got the kiln last year
butch
 
jhiggins said:
Incidentally, I bought this one direct from Paragon. They'll definitely deal over the phone. I had it within a week of the phone call - made fresh just for me. Oh and you can also ask them for any door or interior configuration you want. I have the long and narrow chamber, but a friend of mine got the side-swinging door and a wider, less-deep chamber. I like his alot, but mine will fit 16" of steel diagonally. He does nothing but folder blades, so he could care less about a long chamber.
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Being left-handed, if they will do that then I would consider getting them to fabricate the door to open from the left hand side (hinges on the right) that I can open with my right hand instead of hinging on the bottom. The hair on my arm would remain intact!

It would also be more convenient (for me) if the controller were on the left hand side instead of the right. If getting this done is more then it would be worth the lack of frustration down the road.

It's tough sometimes living in a right-handed world.

Still in the thinking stage...

Craig
 
Just wanted to chime in. Paragon makes an "HT" version that has a higher temperature element, and, the controller on mine goes to something like 2250F. If you want the hotter element, buy it like that. Replacing elements is tricky and time consuming. It is easy to damage the kiln lining.

Paragon furnaces have the elements that wrap around the back end of the furnace in a "U" shape. This means the rear section is going to get hotter than the front. With the thermocouple by the door, you might want to drill a hole thru the top and add another thermocouple near the back end. I did, and was surprised at the variation.
WRT heat up rates, it depends on the load in the furnace, too. An empty 240V furnace can reach 200F in about 1 hour. Put some blades in there, and it's going to take longer. You can use little triangles of SS foil to make "sheaths" for the tips of your knives before you put them into the foil packs. This will eliminate the problem of tip overheating.
 
I set in the same row at the Blade Show as the Paragon display. Got to know the owner well. He's a great guy. After hearing from a few other makers that the Paragon was a better oven, I bought the Paragon. It has been a great addition.
 
I have a good friend who has a paragon, and he gets so frustrated with it that he keeps swearing that one day he is going to just set it out on the street! He tried my Evenheat, and says that will be his next purchase.
By the way, my cat got comfortable resting on my Evenheat when it first came in, and I didn't turn it on for a few days, then, one day, I fired it up, and after an hour or so she decided to jump up there for her usual nap:
Ziiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng: UP she went. Hasn't been near it since. I had a great laugh, though.
 
blade runner said:
I have a good friend who has a paragon, and he gets so frustrated with it that he keeps swearing that one day he is going to just set it out on the street! He tried my Evenheat, and says that will be his next purchase.
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Do you care to elaborate on your friends frustration???

Craig
 
C L:
He keeps having to replace elements that quit working, and he has tested the inside temperature while it's running, and it might be off anywhere from 50 degrees to 100 degrees from what the LED readout says.
 
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