Paragon Kiln BlueBird XL : Annealing

Paragon Kilns : BlueBird XL Glass Bead Annealing

Glass Bead Annealing

The Paragon BlueBird XL has a new and improved ceramic fiber roof and firing chamber, thicker doors with new gaskets, heavier mandrel holders, and a stainless steel control panel.

The BlueBird XL is a dream kiln for the glass bead enthusiast. This 20” wide, 8” deep kiln safely anneals glass to prevent breakage during cooling. With your own Paragon annealing kiln, you will never again worry about stress fractures in your glass.

The kiln opens doorways of opportunity in beadmaking. The 10” wide double doors give a total of 20” width for inserting bead rods. This kiln is ideal for seminar teachers. It is like having two kilns in one.

The user-friendly 3-key Sentry Xpress digital controller maintains the annealing temperature. Program it for the length of time desired. Adjust the cooling rate through the annealing range. The controller is packed with features but is user friendly.

Improved Ceramic Fiber Firing Chamber

The BlueBird XL features new sinusoidal “wavy” elements, which are embedded close to the inner surface of the high-tech, vacuum-formed ceramic fiber top. This is an improvement over our earlier embedded coiled elements, because the “wavy” elements are mounted closer to the surface. This enables the elements to radiate heat faster for longer element life. The ceramic fiber top reduces dust inside the kiln.

The BlueBird XL now features ceramic fiber walls and bottom, which replace the firebrick walls and bottom of earlier kilns. The BlueBird XL, with its space-age ceramic fiber, heats faster than ever.

Improved Double Doors with Gaskets

Both doors are 3 1/2” x 10” and mounted in a 4 1/4” high opening. The 3/4” gap under the doors is filled by flexible, high temperature door gaskets, which help to hold in heat. The 2” thick ceramic fiber doors are twice the thickness of our original doors. The hinges are continuous across the top for extra longevity.

Bead Mandrel Holders

The kiln comes with one single and one double mandrel holder. The single holder supports rods or mandrels from one point; the double cradles the rods at two points. The holders are held to the kiln by magnets. They are sturdy and heavy duty for long life.

Rare-Earth Magnets Hold Doors Open or Closed

Rare-earth magnets hold the doors closed while the kiln is heating to annealing temperature. Phenolic knobs on the door handles stay cool to the touch. Use the switch on the front panel to turn off power to the controller when the kiln is not in use .

We have added a glass rod warmer to the top of the kiln. Pre-heating the glass rods saves production time.

Heavy-Duty Construction

The steel base supports the kiln in two layers. The upper steel base supports and strengthens the firing chamber; the lower steel base covers the entire kiln bottom where it rests on your worktable. Electrical components are mounted to the lower base, away from the heat of the firing chamber.

The Sentry Xpress digital controller is mounted under the kiln in an ergonomically sloped panel for easy operation. The design saves table space over kilns with a side switch box. The built-in base stays cool even during extended hold times for the long life of the electrical system. It is slotted to dissipate heat and comes with mar-proof plastic feet.

The BlueBird XL plugs into a standard household outlet. The kiln ships by convenient UPS. It ships in a special carton with vacuum-formed padding to assure that the kiln will arrive safely.

And, of course, the BlueBird XL is made in Mesquite, Texas to exacting standards. The kiln is coated with durable high-temperature water base paint, which produces low emissions during spraying. This is better for our employees and the environment.

Features of the BlueBird XL

• 3-key digital Sentry Xpress controller
• 2 - 3 1/2” high doors with flexible high temperature gasket
• Rare-earth magnets hold the doors open or closed
• The firing chamber is 8” deep measured with doors closed; 10” deep measured with doors open
• ceramic fiber firing chamber for rapid heating
• 2” thick ceramic fiber doors with flexible gaskets
• Mandrel holders attach to the kiln with magnets
• 1500°F maximum temperature
• Ceramic fiber roof with embedded elements
• Mar-proof plastic feet
• On-off safety switch

Designed for production

Paragon’s warranty is not affected by frequency of use. Fire your new kiln every day if you want, even in commercial settings. That will have no effect on the warranty period.

Optional colors at no extra charge

Brighten your studio with color! Order your kiln in one of our standard colors at no extra charge . . . berry, black, blue, hot pink, jade, navy, purple, or turquoise. Scroll down to see color samples in the options section.

Specifications