Paragon Xpress-Q-11A

The Xpress-Q-11A fires rapidly to 2350F. Create breathtaking jewelry or small keepsakes using almost any medium you can imagine: silver clay, enameling, china painting, glass, lost wax casting, ceramics, stoneware, and porcelain. Since the kiln opens from the front instead of the top, it is ideal for copper enameling. The Xpress-Q-11A is a true multipurpose kiln.

Imagine the glass you could sag, slump, and fuse with this kiln. Make pendants, earrings, cufflinks, and even bracelets. Enjoy the glittering beauty of dichroics. This kiln will give you years of creative enjoyment. It is light-weight; take it with you to seminars or on vacation.

The Xpress-Q-11A comes with the Sentry Xpress digital controller, which is mounted in the kiln base (instead of a side switch box) to save table space. The front control panel is tilted for easy operation.

The Sentry Xpress 3-key controller is packed with features. It includes Cone-Fire and 8-segment Ramp-Hold modes. (Note: Ramp-Hold and Cone-Fire on the Sentry Xpress do not include some of the advanced features of the 12-key Sentry 2.0.)

Features of the Sentry Xpress 3-key Controller for Ceramic Kilns

Fire to a pyrometric cone by merely entering cone number and slow, medium or fast speed.

Program Review lets you check the program you are about to fire.

Set a temperature alarm to remind yourself to close a vented lid.

Design Ramp-Hold programs with up to 8 segments (steps).

Skip a segment in Ramp-Hold during firing.

Hold (soak) the temperature in both Cone-Fire and Ramp-Hold.

Control both heating and cooling in Ramp-Hold.

Add hold time in Ramp-Hold during firing.

Change the target temperature in Ramp-Hold during firing.

Temperature Display throughout firing and cooling in your choice of °F or °C

Thermocouple Offset adjusts the thermocouple readout.

Set the Delay to turn on the kiln later to suit your schedule.

Error Messages report mechanical problems such as a disconnected thermocouple, stuck relay or broken element.

12 Month Warranty

LED Lights show whether you are in program, review, or firing mode.

Colorful, illustrated instruction manual. Download it from the “Additional Information” section below to review these features in more detail.

A 1/2” hole is stamped into the steel door case and includes a brushed stainless steel cover. We have left the firebrick behind the hole undrilled so that you can drill it to the exact size that you need for a peephole, vent hole, or extra pyrometer hole. (Most people do not need the hole and leave the firebrick undrilled.)

The Xpress-Q-11A heating element, exposed in dropped, recessed insulating firebrick grooves, is easy to replace. The 2 1/2” thick firebricks store plenty of heat for slow cooling through the glass annealing range. For small glass pieces such as jewelry, you can anneal without having to turn the elements back on during cooling. (Extra heat is necessary for annealing large pieces, however.)

Unlatch and open the door with one hand. No extra stand is needed; the built-in base stays cool during operation.

Optional Furniture Kit

The furniture kit consists of carefully selected fireclay shelves and posts for this particular model. When estimating the price of the kiln, include the cost of furniture. The furniture allows you to stack multiple layers of ware. Without it, you could fire only the ware that would fit on the kiln bottom.

Xpress-Q-11A Furniture Kit:
1 C-2 (5” x 5” x 3/8”) Shelf
4 - 2” long 1" wide Square Posts
1 lb. Bag Kiln Wash

Optional Glass Viewing Window 

The 1" x 3" window is available on the smaller kilns such as the Q-11A. Watch the bright red kiln interior through the optional 1” x 3” high-temperature glass window. (Note: always wear firing safety glasses when viewing the kiln interior.) The glass window is guaranteed up to 2300°F.

The window is especially useful for glass fusing and copper enameling. Conveniently watch your glass treasures progress through every stage from tack fuse to full fuse.

Enamelists have said, "I can't live without the window!" As you look through the window, angle your line of sight so that the glow from an element reflects off the surface of the enameling piece.

First, the enamel will appear granulated. As the glass particles begin to fuse, the surface will resemble an orange peel. Remove the rack when the copper piece appears a rosy red and the reflection of the glowing element is smooth.

Optional Door Safety Switch

The optional door safety switch turns off power to the heating elements when the door is opened. The controller remains powered. The switch turns the power to the elements back on when the door is closed. The switch mounts to the top of the door hinge shaft. Paragon recommends the safety switch on enameling kilns where enameling pieces are inserted into a hot kiln, and on glass kilns where the hot glass is raked or embossed. IMPORTANT: The door safety switch is required in some areas such as Canada and Europe.

Specifications