The Dragons Are Here!
Here at Kiln Frog, we are always excited to add new items to our site and chat about kilns that can change how you work! Gail recently added the entire Dragon line from Paragon Kilns. As you might surmise from the name, these kilns are incredible BEASTS! Whether you work in glass, clay, or metal, or if you have ever dreamed of having the ultimate front-loading kiln, heat treating oven, or industrial furnace at your disposal, waste no time and take a look at these amazing feats of engineering.
There are three Dragons to choose from in the product line, and they come in any color you choose. Each model has its own personality and strengths as one might suspect, so let’s dive right in and go exploring in this wonderful world of heat.
The Dragon 24 – This is the production potter’s dream kiln.
- It’s front loading with plenty of space to accommodate the largest of projects and is capable of firing to cone 10 all day long. Being a front loader is also a great benefit when you have large projects to fit in for a bisque firing. No worries about knocking your 24” greenware urn on the side walls as you try to lower the piece into place from above. Just swing the door open and slide it right in. That door by the way is mounted on an impressive ¾” steel rod with sealed bearings and it opens a full 160º to give you ample access to the interior of the kiln. The door is held securely closed by two spring loaded latches during firing.
- The Dragon 24 has an interior dimension of 24” by 24” by 27” in height. That’s 9 cubic feet of interior space, and from a production standpoint, that’s a lot of space! You could have multiple levels of mugs, plates, or tiles in this kiln all firing at once.
- And how about those walls? They are constructed of 3” firebrick with an additional 1” outer layer of ceramic fiber to retain heat. That’s four inches of insulating material, all encased in a sturdy metal case that can be painted in your choice of one of eight colors.
- The kiln floor is a whopping 4 ½ inches of fire brick. Why so thick, you might ask? This kiln has been designed to retain as much heat as possible. This give you, the operator several advantages.
- It stays much cooler on the outside than a traditional kiln. The case temperature at cone 10 is around 170º compared to 400-500º on more traditional designs.
- Slower cooling means you aren’t using as much energy to keep the kiln at temperature during the firing phase. The elements don’t have to work as hard and therefore last longer, and you are using less electricity to maintain your temps.
- Slower cooling allows you to branch out and explore the fascinating world of slow cooled glazes. If you have ever seen a glaze with micro or macro crystalline structure in the glaze, you know how fascinating these glazes can be.
Here is an example of a macro crystalline glaze that is fired to cone 10 and then held at 2000º for at least four hours to achieve this finish. This Dragon 24 opens up new and exciting worlds to you in glaze structure by facilitating the slow cool process.
For those of you needing a heat-treating furnace with large capacity, you need look no further. The Dragon 24 can handle heat-treating large metal parts or burning out diesel particulate filters with ease.
The max temperature on these kilns is 2350º, and with the industrial-gauge elements, efficient design, and 16,500 watts of power, the Dragon 24 can keep that heat going firing after firing without breaking a sweat! That’s some serious power with some serious wattage backing it up.
The Dragon 24 can be configured a number of ways to suite your needs, and Gail put together ten different combinations of voltage, phases, and features for you to choose from on this kiln. You can add door elements and even specify a gas inlet flow meter and solenoid for this kiln to broaden the range of firing techniques at your disposal. Just imagine the number and the size of blades you could heat treat with this kiln! The standard Type-K thermocouple is protected with a high nickel stainless steel sheath, and you can also specify a three-zone configuration with three thermocouples for even greater control of the heating environment. The thermocouples are upgradeable to Type-S thermocouples if your needs dictate. The industrial grade elements are even tuned to give you more heat at the bottom and top of the firing chamber where it is needed most.
Now, you might be reading this and thinking to yourself that all of this is well and good, but I’m a glass artist, not a potter or metal worker! Not to worry, we’ve got you covered!
Enter the Janus Dragon. Everything we just said about the Dragon 24 is true for the Janus Dragon, with the addition of elements in the roof of the kiln. This kiln is drool worthy.
- As with the Janus 24, you can also specify door elements for your kiln.
- The Janus Dragon features two different firing modes, glass and clay. In the glass firing mode, heat comes from the top elements and the middle sidewall elements to create a perfect environment for casting, fusing, slumping, and dropping. In the clay firing mode, heating comes from the sidewall elements only as in the Dragon 24.
- The Janus Dragon ups the wattage to 16,800 to accommodate the extra elements in the top of the kiln. With this kiln, you can easily do multiple layers of slump molds to get your production into high gear.
- Another great feature of all of the Dragon models is a hinged control panel. This allows for easy access to the controller and relays for any needed maintenance.
- And how about those relays? Industrial mercury relays are standard on all Dragon kilns as are high amperage fuses to protect the circuit wiring.
- All of the Dragons come standard with the Sentry 12-key controller, and you can upgrade to the Sentinel smart controller if you choose.
So, you say this all sounds great, but I work REALLY BIG!
Enter The Super Dragon. Everything that’s great about the Dragon 24 is here on display but bigger, stronger, and more developed, just like after getting a trainer at the gym.
The Super Dragon measures a massive 27” by 27” by 36” tall. We are talking sabre and scimitar territory here. Think about how many 12” plates you could slump at one time, or how many mugs you could fire and get ready to ship out. This kiln has a massive 15.3 cubic feet of interior space to handle all of that and more. It’s a production potter or glass artist’s best friend.
Power, you ask? It’s a whopping 21,600 watts.
Gail has put together seven different configurations of this beast to suit any and all of your needs, be it single phase or three, with a Ventmaster or no, adding door elements, single or three zone, etc... You truly can have this whopper of a kiln your way!
Now let’s talk size for a minute. If you want to get the Dragon 24 or the Janus Dragon through a door, you need a minimum of 34” clearance if you temporarily remove the handles and back element cover. The Super Dragon is going to need a 42” opening to squeeze through. Did I mention this guy is massive?
If you like all of the features of the Dragon series, but just aren’t quite needing that much space, there is good news. The Dragon’s little brother has many of the same features as the Dragons, just in a smaller package.
- The 18” by 18” by 22.25” tall chamber might be just the right size for you.
- At 4.20 cubic feet in volume it is a great size for those who want a front loader, but don’t need quite the capacity of the Dragons.
- You can get the Iguana with a Sentry 12-key controller or a Sentinel Smart Controller.
- It is built to exacting standards out of three inch firebrick on all walls, door, roof and floor for great insulation and slow cooling.
- It is rated at 10,800 watts and can be ordered with an Orton Ventmaster or with a gas inlet flow meter and solenoid if you need them.
- It also fires to 2350º.
- It is great for glass, clay and heat treating metals, too!
So, there you have it; a little glimpse into the world of really big kilns. If you would like to make one of these great workhorses yours, just give us a call and we can guide you through the selection process to match you up with the one that suites your needs the best. If you can’t find the configuration that’s just the right fit for you, call us and we’ll create just the right feature stack for you. After all, who wouldn’t like to have a dragon in their back pocket? (ok, maybe their garage, studio, or factory floor!)
