The Kitiki Mini-Kiln is a low-cost, plug-in, table-top, jewellery kiln: a 1000°C, rectangular, ceramic-fibre, front-opener, with an easy-to-use digital controller. It's the most popular mini kiln in the UK.

You can make beads, bracelets, brooches, charms, cuff-links, dolls, earrings, figurines, fingerprint keepsakes, jewellery, miniatures, model parts, necklaces, pendants, rings, seasonal decorations, souvenirs, and thimbles.

You can try Art Clay metal clay, bronze clay, copper clay, PMC silver clay, glass clay, Accent Gold, Image Transfer Solution, Metal Clay Veneer, SilverEtch, bead annealing, china paint, dichroic glass, enamels, glass fusing, sagging, and slumping, heat treating, laboratory tests, lampwork, lost-wax casting, low-fire ceramics, making jewellery, melting gold and silver, and staining glass. And work with many other materials and processes.

It's ideal for your arts centre, college, course venue, craft class, engineering workshop, glass works, home business, jewellery studio, medical laboratory, school, or technical facility. And, as it only weighs about 6kg, it's easy to take to craft fairs, demonstrations, and exhibitions.

Although Cherry Heaven is a distributor for the Kitiki Mini-Kiln, at least one company is selling a a similar kiln, the Prometheus Pro-1 and painted red, that costs about 44% more.

Although there's cross-over, most kilns have a prime function, such as annealing, enamelling, firing metal clays, glass fusing, jewellery-making, heat-treating, or ceramics. Within these, you need to think about internal size, heat-up time, electrical requirements, running costs, programmer features, and whether the kiln is to be moved often. Then, for example, jewellery only needs a small kiln, pottery needs a large hot kiln, glass panels need a flat kiln, and knife-making needs a deep kiln,

The Kitiki Mini-Kiln is generally classed as a jewellery-making kiln which usually means firing metal clays, doing enamelling, and fusing glass. It's inexpensive, so just right for a home business or a small studio. It's simple to use and heats up quickly, so great for a classroom. And it's small enough to pack away if you want an occasional hobby kiln.

To look at the pop-up photos, hold your mouse over the zoom buttons below: you don't need to click.

The Kitiki MiniKiln.

The AX-4 Digital Controller.

This comprehensive internet resource lets you research and compare kilns in your own time. And it'll help you make the right choice instead of an expensive mistake. The section about kiln furniture is very important.

For other small plug-in table-top kilns for annealing, beads, dichroics, enamelling, fusing, keepsakes, making jewellery, metal clays, mixed-media work, and porcelain, refer to Electric Kilns.

For larger wired-in floor-standing and work-top kilns for casting, ceramics, glass, heat treating, knife making, pottery, and raku, refer to Paragon Kilns.

Depending which internet resource you're currently on, there are appropriate links above the menu bar near the top of the page.

The Kitiki Mini-Kiln is a low-cost, plug-in, table-top, jewellery kiln: a 1000°C, rectangular, ceramic-fibre, front-opener, with an easy-to-use digital controller.

You can make beads, bracelets, brooches, charms, cuff-links, dolls, earrings, figurines, fingerprint keepsakes, jewellery, miniatures, model parts, necklaces, pendants, rings, seasonal decorations, souvenirs, and thimbles.

You can try Art Clay and PMC silver clay, BronzClay and CopprClay, GlasClay, Accent Gold, Image Transfer Solution, Metal Clay Veneer, SilverEtch, bead annealing, china paint, dichroic glass, enamels, glass fusing, sagging, and slumping, heat treating, laboratory tests, lampwork, lost-wax casting, low-fire ceramics, making jewellery, melting gold and silver, and staining glass. And work with many other materials and processes.

The UK kiln is rated at 230V 700W, so can use a regular mains socket. It's small enough to use in your home, school, craft workshop, jewellery studio, or course venue, as it only weighs about 6Kg.

The outer steel case measures 224mm x 244mm x 274mm, and is slotted for air circulation: so it keeps cool. The door is hinged on the left, opens 90°, and has a small vent-hole for processes that release fumes. The vent also serves as a peephole: it's not a glass window.

The ceramic firing chamber, enclosed in an inner steel case, measures 113mm x 135mm x 66mm internally, and heats from the top, sides, and bottom, with the fast-firing elements safely embedded in the ceramic fibre.

Embedded elements are an important safety feature if you're working in a public space or you like to open the door whilst you work. However, never get careless: kilns are very hot and connected to the mains.

It's guaranteed for a year, and there's an informed and supportive user-base, and international spares and repair centres.

The Kitiki MiniKiln is sometimes called an Art Clay kiln, a craft kiln, an enamelling kiln, a glass fusing kiln, a jewellery kiln, a hobby kiln, a metal clay kiln, a PMC kiln, a Prometheus Kiln, a Prometheus Pro-1 Kiln, a SilverClay kiln, or a small kiln.

It's very important to understand that the Kitiki Mini-Kiln has a digital controller, not a comprehensive digital programmer such as the Sentry Xpress on the Paragon SC2. There are limitations, although you may be perfectly happy with what it can do rather than unhappy with what it can't.

The Mini Kiln digital controller isn't the same as a digital programmer. It doesn't offer sequences and segments: it heats to a set temperature and stays there until you turn it off. For most people doing small-scale work, that's enough, although it helps if you buy a small digital timer to remind you that time's up. You can buy a digital timer in the on-line shop.

The Paragon SC-2 digital programmer allows you to set up, and re-use, four accurate drying, heating, holding, and cooling sequences: and do something else whilst the sequence is running. A sequence can consist of up to eight segments.
A segment is one step in a sequence: often the time it takes to reach a target temperature. For example: a segment could take 50 minutes to reach 650°C, could hold at 850°C for 12 minutes, or could cool down over two hours.

The MiniKiln has a smaller firing chamber than that of the Paragon SC2, so you can't fill three shelves with twenty-four pieces of jewellery: just four or five average things on the floor of the firing chamber, on a ceramic-fibre cloth or shelf. And it heats to 1000°C, not 1095°C.

The Mini-Kiln door opens 90° so, unless the kiln has cooled completely, you need to careful not to burn your hand taking pieces out. The SC-2 door opens 180°.

Some bronze and copper clays are fired in activated charcoal granules in a stainless steel container. The MiniKiln isn't large enough to hold a standard container, although you could experiment with other small containers or have one made. The SC2, SC3, E9A. E10A, 1193, and Caldera hold a one-litre container: the E12A, E14A, and J14A hold a three-litre.

Particulates represent a health risk if they're breathed in, so wear a HEPA mask when cleaning out your kiln, mixing kiln wash, and working with charcoals, ceramic-fibre blocks, cloths, and papers. And, ideally, use protective glasses.

If you want to touch anything hot or move your kiln before it's cooled off, it's important to wear heat-resistant gloves. And, if you want to look into a red-hot kiln, wear glare-resistant glasses which protect your eyes from IR and UV.

In the unlikely event that your kiln develops a fault, it's reassuring to know that home repairs are easy and need little more than a screwdriver and a pair of pliers. If you need help, there are on-line repair videos or an engineer can guide you on the phone.

The recommended furniture kit is included in the price: one hard ceramic-fibre shelf 75mm x 118mm x 10mm for metal clays, enamels, and glass.

There's an extra kit, not included in the price, which lets you put more work in your kiln, frees your time, and reduces the unit cost of firing: one hard ceramic-fibre shelf 75mm x 118mm x 10mm and four 12mm shelf posts. You can buy extra shelf kits in the on-line shop.

Depending on the material or process, and the sizes of your pieces, these shelves can be stacked up. This kiln has room for two, and you can choose 12mm or 25mm posts.

If extra kits are packed with the kiln, the delivery charge doesn't increase. Ordered later, not with the kiln, they need a box and protective packing and attract an extra delivery charge. Outside the UK mainland, this might be expensive. So, if you think you'll need them, order them with your kiln, along with any other accessories, materials, parts, or tools.

Clays, charcoals, dust masks, electric kilns, hot gloves, magnetic polishers, protective glasses, rotary tumblers, shelf paper, and other tools and materials, are in the on-line shop: use the shop link below the menu bar near the top of the page.

Every kiln comes with kiln furniture, included in the price, so that you can start work straight away. It's not an expensive collection that I've put together for you: one that you have to pay for but might never use.

What you get depends on which kiln you choose. For example: one full shelf, two half-shelves, several mixed shelves, a set of shelf posts, a bead-mandrel holder, glass separator, hot gloves, kiln wash, a knife-making rack, pyrometric cones, a tile holder, or other accessories. So, it's important to understand what's in the included furniture kit for the kiln you've chosen.

Usually, a shelf kit comprises one professional, durable, cordierite shelf and four 12mm high posts. It should stay on the floor of the firing chamber all the time in case you accidentally spill or melt anything: solidified glass is impossible to pick off without damaging the ceramic-fibre or firebrick. You don't get a soft, ceramic-fibre shelf, often described as free, that will gradually break up and need replacing.

During firing sequences with heating, holding, and cooling segments, the elements turn on and off repeatedly. In a small kiln, with little residual heat, the inevitable temperature changes can make glass crack as it expands and contracts. A thick heavy shelf stores heat and, because it's resting on posts, the air circulates, helping to even out any normal temperature fluctuations.

If you're buying your first kiln, you're probably interested in one material, such as silver clay, or one process, such as enamelling. However, after a few successes, and failures, most people want to try different materials, make larger pieces, experiment with combinations, fire more at a time, and soon become interested in something else: or everything else. Some start a business or run classes.

Depending on the material or process, and the sizes of your pieces, shelves can be stacked up on posts to make better use of the kiln space, your time, and the unit firing-cost: so you might want extra shelf kits.

If extra shelf kits are packed with the kiln, the delivery charge doesn't increase. Ordered later, not with the kiln, they need a box and protective packing and attract an extra delivery charge. Outside the UK mainland, this might be expensive. So, if you think you'll need them, order them with your kiln, along with any other accessories, materials, parts, or tools.

Although they look tough, most ceramics break if they're dropped, so it's a good idea to have spare shelves, especially if your business depends on your kiln or you're running courses.

Shelf kits usually include 25mm x 25mm x 12mm shelf posts, When flat, they're 12mm high: on their sides, they're 25mm. Other sizes, up to 150mm high, are available, so you can choose the shelf spacing that suits your kiln and your work.

For dichroics, enamelling, and glass fusing, put kiln paper on the shelf to stop the glass sticking: it's simpler and cleaner to use than glass separator. Bullseye Thinfire shelf paper, probably the most popular, ensures easy separation between your glass and the kiln shelf. One side feels slightly smoother than the other: that's the glass side.

Generally, glasswork needs radiant heat and will fuse, sag, or slump better on one shelf than between closely stacked shelves, although experienced glass artists often use several shelves succesfully.

Delicate pieces can be fired on a puffed-up ceramic-fibre cloth: on a shelf. Round pieces, that could roll to one side, can be fired on a hollowed-out ceramic-fibre block.

Particulates represent a health risk if they're breathed in, so wear a HEPA mask when cleaning out your kiln, mixing kiln wash, and working with ceramic-fibre blocks, cloths, and papers. And, ideally, use protective glasses.

If you want to touch anything hot, or move your kiln before it's cooled off, it's important to wear heat-resistant gloves. And, if you want to look into a red-hot kiln, even briefly, wear glare-resistant glasses to protect your eyes from IR and UV.

If your day-to-day work depends on your kiln and down-time will be disruptive or expensive, it's a good idea to have spares: extra shelves, a selection of posts, elements, a relay, and a thermocouple.

You can learn about ceramic blocks and cloths, charcoal, dust masks, glare-resistant glasses, glass separator, heat-resistant gloves, kiln vents, kiln wash, programmers, protective glasses, USB interfaces, shelf paper, tools, and other accessories, using the accessories link below the menu bar near the top of the page. And they're all in the on-line shop.

The Kitiki MiniKiln has been re-engineered and comprehensively tested for the UK, so will work in the EU and most other countries. It's CE Marked and complies with EU safety standards.

It uses regular single-phase 230V mains, and has 230V EU elements, not 110V US elements.

The heating elements are embedded in ceramic fibre: an important and legally necessary safety feature. However, never get careless: kilns are very hot and connected to the mains.

The Kitiki MiniKiln has a UK three-pin plug. If you're not in the UK, use a plug adapter or cut off the UK plug and fit your own: it won't invalidate the guarantee.

The internet is packed full with inaccuracies: accidental or intentional. There are unsubstantiated claims that whatever is being sold is the best, the newest, or the cheapest, and it's being sold by the largest dealer or the premier distributor.

So, why buy a Kitiki MiniKiln from Cherry Heaven? Let's look at what else is available:

If you want a larger kiln with a comprehensive programmer, look at the SC-1: it's easy-to-carry. If you want a larger kiln look at the SC-2. If you want a hotter kiln, for ceramics, look at the Caldera-A. If you want a larger hotter kiln look at the Xpress-E12A. I've included a specification table below and, further down the page, a comprehensive comparison with other makes.

The digital controller allows you to set a target temperature. There are no restrictive features such as single-sequence use or pre-set fixed programmes.

Pre-set fixed programmes might seem to be an advantage. However, having experimented and diversified, many people fire materials, or combinations of materials, at different temperatures and for different times than are recommended. So pre-sets soon become a serious limitation.

The MiniKiln heats from the top, both sides, and the botton. This minimises the front-to-back temperature difference that's common with smaller kilns. The elements are embedded in ceramic fibre, an important safety feature if you run classes or like to open the door or bead door whilst you work. However, never get careless: kilns are very hot and connected to the mains.

Although there's cross-over, 1000°C front-opening ceramic-fibre kilns that heat and cool quickly, such as the MiniKiln, are preferred for Art Clay and PMC metal clays, dichroic glass, enamelling, glass clays, and mixed-media jewellery.

And, generally, 1230°C to 1290°C front or top-opening firebrick kilns that heat and cool evenly, such as those in the Caldera and Xpress series, are preferred for ceramics, porcelain, pottery, and stoneware, especially as firebrick kilns are better suited to continual high temperatures.

In the unlikely event that your kiln develops a fault, it's reassuring to know that home repairs are easy and need little more than a screwdriver and a pair of pliers. If you need help, there are on-line repair videos or an engineer can guide you on the phone. Alternatively, we can repair the kiln in our workshop at Cherry Heaven.

Kilns from competing manufacturers typically don't have built-in programmers, don't come with professional shelf kits, have out-dated features, use restrictive pre-set programmes, aren't in stock, or there are no spares. They're generally more expensive, but smaller and don't get as hot, so less versatile. Mis-leading first-sight prices often exclude delivery and VAT.

Here are a few facts that you can easily check for yourself, based on net-shop specifications and prices in June 2011 for Efco, Evenheat, and KilnCare kilns. However, buy a Paragon and, with the saving, you can treat yourself to a luxury five-star weekend break.

The Efco 110, 135, 150, and 180 kilns don't have rotary controllers or digital programmers: without one, they'll just heat up and burn out. The KilnCare EN-1, EN-2, and EN-3 kilns have built-in manual rotary controllers.

So they're all usually sold with a KilnCare KCR1 digital programmer, probably made by Stafford Instruments. It's a separate box with a separate mains cable, a separate thermocouple, and a separate stand: so more stuff on your worktop. This adds about £300 to what might appear to be the price of the kiln.

The Paragon SC series kilns have built-in, comprehensive, automatic, digital programmers, with just three keys: you set the ramps and holds in sequence: you're not stuck with pre-sets that will restrict you sooner or later. So remember this when someone tells you that some programmers have confusing menus and masses of buttons.

The Paragon SC2 is 540% larger inside than the Efco 110 and 145°C hotter. It's 300% larger inside than the Efco 135 and costs about £30 less. It's 220% larger inside than the Efco 150 and costs about £85 less. It's about 20% larger inside than the Efco 180 and costs about £155 less.

The Paragon SC2 comes with a professional shelf kit, a tough shelf on posts, rather than the Efco shelf on a pay-extra metal gauze stand. It's a personal thing, but I don't want metal scraping away at the floor of the kiln every time I move the shelf.

If you really want a small fast kiln, look at the Kitiki MiniKiln: it's 100°C hotter than the Efco 110, costs about £180 less, and uses 22% less power. Use the links below the menu bar near the top of the page.

The Paragon SC2 is 380% larger inside than the KilnCare EN1, 95°C hotter, and costs about £415 less. The Paragon SC3 is 33mm less tall than the KilnCare EN2, but 95°C hotter, and costs about £635 less. The Paragon Xpress E12A is 226% larger than the KilnCare EN3, 230°C hotter, and costs about £485 less: a true mixed-media kiln.

All the Paragon kilns include a professional shelf kit. And, again, it's a personal thing, but I prefer the mains cable to exit from the back of the kiln, as with Paragon, rather than from the side where it gets in the way, as with KilnCare.

The Paragon SC2 has been copied as the Evenheat KingPin, Evenheat PMC Kiln, Evenheat Set-Pro, Evenheat E-360, and Evenheat Sierra. They cost at least £250 more, which is probably why so few people sell them or own them. Only the SC2 includes a shelf kit.

They have restrictive pre-set programmes, don't include a shelf kit, and have an irritating door ball-catch. And copy-kilns don't have Paragon's international, informed, and supportive user-base, or EU spares and repair centres.

The Paragon SC2B has a bead door. The SC2W door includes a 50mm x 50mm heat-resistant glass viewing-window: not just has a small peephole. The Paragon SC2BW has a bead door and window, making it more versatile.

The Paragon SC2B is over five times larger than the KilnCare Bead Cube and 175°C hotter. It's about the same size as the KilnCare Maxi, 445°C hotter, and costs about £170 less.

If you want a kiln specifically designed for batch-annealing beads, look at the Paragon BlueBird series: especially as the regular BlueBird is wider than the Maxi and costs about £95 less. The BlueBird XL is a professional batch-annealing kiln: it's 230°C hotter than the Maxi, so more versatile.

Finally, the SC2 is large enough to accommodate the charcoal-filled stainless steel container needed to fire some of the bronze and copper clays, both described further down this page.

The MiniKiln heats to 1000°C: hotter than an enamelling kiln or a glass-fusing kiln. It's rated at 230V 700W, so it can use a regular mains socket. The heating elements are embedded in ceramic fibre: an important safety feature. It has a digital controller that sets the temperature. And it's the most popular mini-kiln in the UK.

If you want a larger kiln look at the SC-2. If you want a hotter kiln, for ceramics, look at the Caldera-A. If you want a larger hotter kiln look at the Xpress-E12A. I've included photos and a specification table below, for comparison.

If you need help choosing or have a specific project, mail or call. However, all the kilns are described on their own pages.

Owners call it their Art Clay kiln, PMC kiln, metal-clay kiln, bead-annealing kiln, bead kiln, bronze-clay kiln, copper-clay kiln, dichroic-glass kiln, enamel kiln, enamelling kiln, glass kiln, glass-clay kiln, glass-fusing kiln, jewellery kiln, jewelry kiln, lampwork kiln, silverclay kiln, small kiln, or studio kiln. This diversity is a good reflection of its popularity.

When a kiln is described as being larger, it means it has a larger firing-chamber volume. A wider bead kiln has space for more bead rods. A taller kiln allows you to stack up more shelves and make better use of your time. A higher maximum temperature allows you to work with more materials and processes in the future. And an automatic programmer will run a complicated programme by itself and then turn the kiln off.

Running costs are low, as ceramic fibre heats up quickly and is an effective insulator. In any comparison, the wattage is not the only cost-indicator: it depends on the heat-up time during a ramp, the number and duration of off-periods during a hold, and the interior useable volume of the kiln.

It should be self-evident that there are more kilns, and more variations of those kilns, here at Electric Kilns and Paragon Kilns than on any other UK, and probably EU, internet resource. And, if you want a 1230°C version of a 1095°C kiln, we'll often be able to get one made for you.

If you need help choosing or have a specific project, mail or call. However, all the kilns are described on their own pages: use the links below the menu bar near the top of the page.

Generally, programmable kilns work like this: as soon as the programmer's sequence starts, the kiln begins to heat up. The thermocouple tells the programmer the current internal temperature and, depending on the sequence you've chosen, the programmer turns the elements on or off to control the heating rate, maintain the target temperature, or control the cooling rate. When the sequence is complete, the kiln beeps, and the programme stops.

For safety, the programmer doesn't switch the full mains voltage. Instead it drives a relay, an electro-mechanical switch. The programmer uses a low voltage to activate the switch which turns the high voltage elements on or off.

When the target temperature is reached, the programmer switches the elements off. However, residual heat in the firing chamber allows the internal temperature to overshoot the target temperature briefly before starting to fall back.

This overshoot is more evident at low temperatures than at high temperatures. For example: 300°C will probably overshoot to 330°C whereas 800°C will probably only overshoot to 805°C before starting to fall back.

During the hold-time, with the elements still off, the temperature falls. When the programmer switches the elements back on, the firing chamber will initially absorb some of the new heat before the temperature recovers. The continual switching of the elements on and off causes the internal temperature to cycle around the target temperature.

Regardless of the thermocouple temperature, the actual temperature of your work will be slightly different, depending on its position on the kiln shelf, the vertical spacing of any stacked shelves, and its nearness to the elements, a lid, a door, a bead door, or a window. Learn to take it into account if you're working with temperature-critical materials or processes.

Remember that glass needs radiant heat and will fuse, sag, or slump better on one shelf at the bottom than between closely stacked shelves.

Kiln doors and lids are not meant to be a perfect fit otherwise, at high temperatures, there'd be no room for expansion and movement, and the door could stick and the ceramic-fibre or firebricks could crack.

All kilns smell a bit during the first few firings, just like a toaster or a fan heater. If you're worried about fumes, open a window.

Eventually, with normal use, kilns discolour slightly, inside and outside, and some firebricks might develop hairline cracks. Your kiln is a versatile, robust, red-hot tool: not an ornament.

Using your kiln successfully needs critical research and frequent tests, especially as things that work for your friends or teachers might not work in the same way for you. It's also very important to learn how to creatively use unexpected effects. So, keep a firing log:

Buy a durable notebook. Use a new page for every firing, and draw diagrams of the shelves, their vertical spacing, and the position of your work on the shelves. Along with your work, put a few scraps at different places on the shelves to learn how things change. Describe the material, the shape of your work, the firing cycle, and the end result.

A kiln log is vital if you're experimenting with temperature-sensitive materials, or working with coloured dichroic glasses, enamels, glazes, or paints, and a skilled artist will use the kiln log to advantage to re-create effects.

It'll be particularly useful if you have to repeat a commission, or you have a long holiday before returning to your studio.

If the kiln has a Sentry 12-key digital programmer, it can connect to your computer using a factory-fitted USB interface. ControlMaster software, included in the price, allows you to control and monitor the firing, and organise, analyse, print out, and save the data. If you want this option, make sure you order the USB interface.

There are two popular makes of silver clay: Art Clay made by Aida Chemical Industries and PMC made by Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, in Japan. They're both clay-like materials made of fine silver powder and water-soluble organic binders.

Art Clay Silver and PMC Silver, sometimes just called silver clay, metal clay, or precious-metal clay, are easy to fire: put your dried work on a kiln shelf and programme the temperature and hold-time.

As they're fired, the binders vapourise, releasing very small amounts of non-toxic carbon dioxide and water, and the metal powder sinters, leaving solid 999 silver: real metal, not something that just looks like metal.

Although Paragon kilns include a durable shelf kit so that you can start work straight away, several shelves can be stacked to make better use of your time and reduce the unit-cost of firing: so you might want more than one.

Although we chose to work with, sell, and provide classes in Art Clay, both makes fire in a similar way. So any kiln suitable for Art Clay will be just as good for PMC.

If you're currently using PMC, try Art Clay. There are differences in the feel, the shrinkage, the strength, the surface lustre, the product range, the pricing, and the general commercial setup if you're running a serious business.

Currently, in January 2012, 50 gms of PMC+ Silver Clay from the UK distributor costs about 37% more than Art Clay Silver Clay. If anyone would like to comment on this, let me know and provide a reference.

To learn more, use the links below the menu bar near the top of the page. You can buy ArtClay, bronzeclay, copperclay, glassclay, goldclay, and related products in the on-line shop.

There are three popular makes of bronze clay: Bronze Clay made by ClayMania, BronzClay made by Metal Adventures, and Prometheus Bronze ProClay made by Odak. They're all clay-like materials made of fine bronze powder and water-soluble organic binders. However, they're fired in different ways:

Prometheus Bronze Clay is easy to fire: wrap your dried work in kitchen tissue or ceramic cloth, put it on a kiln shelf, and programme the temperature and hold time. It can also be fired in charcoal.

Clay Mania Bronze Clay and MetalAdventures BronzClay fire in a special way. Fired normally, the surface would oxidise so, to minimize this, they're embedded in activated charcoal granules in a covered stainless steel container. Charcoal made from coconut shells produces a natural bronze colour, and charcoal made from coal produces a colourful range of patinas.

As they're fired, the binders vapourise, releasing very small amounts of non-toxic carbon dioxide and water, and the metal powder sinters, leaving solid bronze, an alloy of 89% copper and 11% tin: real metal, not something that just looks like metal.

The stainless steel container for the Paragon SC-2 measures 162mm x 176mm x 100mm, and holds 1 litre of charcoal. To fire larger pieces, or more pieces at the same time, you'll need a larger kiln, such as the Paragon Xpress E-12A. The container for the E-12A measures 265mm x 162mm x 152mm and holds 3 litres of charcoal.

The 1230°C firebrick E12A costs more than the 1095°C ceramic-fibre SC2. However, it's two and a half times larger than the SC-2 and is a versatile mixed-media kiln suited to continual high temperatures.

Particulates represent a health risk if they're breathed in, so wear a HEPA mask when cleaning out your kiln, mixing kiln wash, and working with charcoals, ceramic-fibre blocks, cloths, and papers. And, ideally, use protective glasses.

Although Paragon kilns include a durable shelf kit so that you can start work straight away, several shelves can be stacked to make better use of your time and reduce the unit-cost of firing: so you might want more than one.

I can't recommend one clay as being the best. There are differences in the feel, the firing, the shrinkage, the strength, and the surface patinas, so try them and experiment: they're not expensive.
However, as Prometheus Bronze Clay is easy to fire and costs less than the others, try it first? It comes as 100gm of soft clay in a packet, or 10gm of creamy clay in a syringe with three tips that you can cut or shape.

There's also Creative Bronze, which is almost certainly Prometheus Bronze Clay renamed. I'll leave it you to work out why ProBronze is £19.75 for 100gm with no delivery charge and Creative Bronze is £24.95 plus £4.95 shipping.

Currently, in January 2012, 100gms of Art Clay Silver Clay costs about 1100% more than Prometheus Bronze Clay and PMC+ Silver Clay costs at least 1370% more. If anyone would like to comment on this, let me know and provide a reference.

So, if you're still in the learning phase, you can try out ideas before possibly wasting your expensive silver clay. However, bronze is a beautiful metal so, as with many materials, you need to exploit its qualities and try to produce beautiful original pieces.

To learn more, use the links below the menu bar near the top of the page. You can buy ArtClay, bronzeclay, copperclay, glassclay, goldclay, and related products in the on-line shop.

There are four popular makes of copper clay: Art Clay Copper made by Aida Chemical Industries, Copper Clay made by ClayMania, CopprClay made by Metal Adventures, and Prometheus Copper ProClay made by Odak. They're all clay-like materials made of fine copper powder and water-soluble organic binders. However, they're fired in different ways:

Clay Mania Copper Clay and MetalAdventures CopprClay fire in a special way. Fired normally, the surface would oxidise so, to minimize this, they're embedded in activated charcoal granules in a covered stainless steel container. Charcoal made from coconut shells produces a natural copper colour.

Art Clay Copper is easy to fire: put your dried work on a kiln shelf, and programme the temperature and hold time. In most kilns, several shelves can be stacked to make better use of your time: so you might want more than one.

Prometheus Copper Clay is easy to fire: wrap your dried work in kitchen tissue or ceramic cloth, put it on a kiln shelf, and programme the temperature and hold time. It can also be fired in charcoal.

As they're fired, the binders vapourise, releasing very small amounts of non-toxic carbon dioxide and water, and the metal powder sinters, leaving solid copper: real metal, not something that just looks like metal.

The stainless steel container for the Paragon SC-2 measures 162mm x 176mm x 100mm, and holds 1 litre of charcoal. To fire larger pieces, or more pieces at the same time, you'll need a larger kiln, such as the Paragon Xpress E-12A. The container for the E-12A measures 265mm x 162mm x 152mm and holds 3 litres of charcoal.

The 1230°C firebrick E12A costs more than the 1095°C ceramic-fibre SC2. However, it's two and a half times larger than the SC-2 and is a versatile mixed-media kiln suited to continual high temperatures.

Particulates represent a health risk if they're breathed in, so wear a HEPA mask when cleaning out your kiln, mixing kiln wash, and working with charcoals, ceramic-fibre blocks, cloths, and papers. And, ideally, use protective glasses.

Although Paragon kilns include a durable shelf kit so that you can start work straight away, several shelves can be stacked to make better use of your time and reduce the unit-cost of firing: so you might want more than one.

I can't recommend one clay as being the best. There are differences in the feel, the firing, the shrinkage, the strength, and the surface patinas, so try them and experiment: they're not expensive.
However, as Prometheus Copper Clay is easy to fire and costs less than the others, try it first? It comes as 100gm of soft clay in a packet, or 10gm of creamy clay in a syringe with three tips that you can cut or shape.

There's also Creative Copper, which is almost certainly Prometheus Copper Clay renamed. I'll leave it you to work out why ProCopper is £19.75 for 100gm with no delivery charge and Creative Copper is £24.95 plus £4.95 shipping.

Currently, in January 2012, 100gms of Art Clay Silver Clay costs about 1100% more than Prometheus Copper Clay and PMC+ Silver Clay costs at least 1370% more. If anyone would like to comment on this, let me know and provide a reference.

So, if you're still in the learning phase, you can try out ideas before possibly wasting your expensive silver clay. However, bronze is a beautiful metal so, as with many materials, you need to exploit its qualities and try to produce beautiful original pieces.

To learn more, use the links below the menu bar near the top of the page. You can buy ArtClay, bronzeclay, copperclay, glassclay, goldclay, and related products in the on-line shop.

GlasClay is made by ClayMania in vibrant colours, based on glasses from Bullseye and Oruboros. It's a clay-like material made of fine glass powder and water-soluble organic binders. It's sold as a box of twelve colours in 12gm pots.

The colours in the table below are a rough guide, and the clay powder, mixed powders, fused glass, and re-fused glass will not all look the same. They're all COE90: read this pop-up.

As it's fired, the binders vapourise, releasing very small amounts of non-toxic carbon dioxide and water, and the glass powder fuses, leaving solid glass: real glass, not something that just looks like glass.

GlasClay is easy to fire: put your dried pieces on some ceramic shelf-paper on a kiln shelf and programme the temperature and hold time.

GlasClay can be shaped easily. You can make three-dimensional objects and free yourself from the constraint of working with flat glass. The size is only determined by the support you can give it. Perhaps the most exciting opportunity is to make your own beads without a torch.

The firing temperature and time are important: glass clays have to fuse, not melt. There's a difference between fusing and melting: During fusing, the binder in the glass clay vapourises and the glass powder particles bond to make solid glass. During melting, the glass powder particles liquify and lose their original clay-shape.

Particulates represent a health risk if they're breathed in, so wear a HEPA mask when cleaning out your kiln, mixing kiln wash, and working with charcoals, ceramic-fibre blocks, cloths, and papers. And, ideally, use protective glasses.

Although Paragon kilns include a durable shelf kit so that you can start work straight away, several shelves can be stacked to make better use of your time and reduce the unit-cost of firing: so you might want more than one.

To learn more, use the links below the menu bar near the top of the page. You can buy ArtClay, bronzeclay, copperclay, glassclay, goldclay, and related products in the on-line shop.

There are two popular makes of gold clay: Art Clay made by Aida Chemical Industries and PMC made by Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, in Japan. They're both clay-like materials made of fine gold powder and water-soluble organic binders.

Art Clay Gold and PMC Gold, sometimes just called gold clay, metal clay, or precious-metal clay, are easy to fire: put your dried work on a kiln shelf and programme the temperature and hold-time.

As they're fired, the binders vapourise, releasing very small amounts of non-toxic carbon dioxide and water, and the metal powder sinters, leaving solid 22 carat gold: real metal, not something that just looks like metal.

Although Paragon kilns include a durable shelf kit so that you can start work straight away, several shelves can be stacked to make better use of your time and reduce the unit-cost of firing: so you might want more than one.

Although we chose to work with, sell, and provide classes in Art Clay, both makes fire in a similar way. So any kiln suitable for Art Clay will be just as good for PMC.

If you're currently using PMC, try Art Clay. There are differences in the feel, the shrinkage, the strength, the surface lustre, the product range, the pricing, and the general commercial setup if you're running a serious business.

Currently, in January 2012, 50 gms of PMC Gold Clay from the UK distributor costs about 60% more than Art Clay Gold Clay. If anyone would like to comment on this, let me know and provide a reference.

To learn more, use the links below the menu bar near the top of the page. You can buy ArtClay, bronzeclay, copperclay, glassclay, goldclay, and related products in the on-line shop.

This internet resource is provided by Cherry Heaven, an international distributor, on-line shop, and support centre for kilns, materials, tools, and tumblers. It's not a bead, ceramics, crafts, glass, or metal-clay home-business, selling a few things to a market niche.

As it's on-line, there isn't a paper catalogue or a price list. However, you can mail or call a technician about kilns, power supplies, public area safety, a special project, business ideas, home diagnostics, repairs, or reselling opportunities.

Cherry Heaven is a shop in Corfe Castle village, in Dorset, South-West England. The surrounding countryside includes green farmland, dramatic cliffs, pretty cottages, historic buildings, sandy beaches, protected coves, open heathland, hill-top panoramic views, and peaceful villages. And lively seaside resorts. To look at some photos, use the dorset link.

Cherry Heaven is an EU distributor for Paragon Kilns, and has been commended for an outstanding performance as one of Paragon's top-selling distributors over 2007 to : a pleasing outcome since the UK is only one third the area of Texas and one fortieth the area of the US.

Paragon Industries started as a family business in 1948. It's now the world's leading manufacturer of electric kilns and furnaces, and has built over 420,000. The 4,800 square metre site, in Mesquite, Texas, USA, has over 70 full-time staff.

During manufacture, every kiln is checked at every stage by a technician and signed-off before shipping. They're simply but robustly engineered, and you're buying a comprehensive, versatile, safe, low-cost kiln: a kiln with a future.

Paragon kilns conform to the demanding UL 499 standard in the US, and are CE Marked for the EU. Paragon is Greek for Model Of Perfection.

The Kitiki Studio provides a comprehensive Art Clay educational programme, as classes, masterclasses, workshops, and Art Clay Level 1 and Level 2 certification courses. If you're interested, mail or call.

The on-line shop link is below the menu bar near the top of the page, on the right: you won't have to create an account, register, log on, look up your membership number, remember a password, sign up, join a club, or agree to be emailed. And the total won't be more than you expected because VAT and UK-mainland delivery are included.