[Emily]

I have an SC -- can't remember whether it's the SC2 or SC3. I like it. I use it for metal clay and enameling as well as annealing.

However, if you make a lot of beads in one session, it might not be the best choice. You can get more mandrels in it than you might think, but it's definitely not a high-capacity kiln. If you produce a lot of beads during one session at the torch, you might consider one of the wider annealing kilns, particularly if you don't need the versatility of the SC series.

Also, if you make beads with enamel on the surface, you might want to choose a kiln with more space to keep the beads separated. The only way to get very many beads into an SC kiln is to pile them up. That's fine for most beads (after they've been in the kiln for a while and have cooled down from torch temperature to annealing temp), but because enamel has a lower melting temperature, if you pile up beads with enamel on the surface, they'll stick to each other.

I haven't had anything go wrong with my SC kiln, so I can't speak to the ease/difficulty of repairs. From what I've heard, the controller module is really easy to remove and reinstall if it needs repairs.

The outside gets warm but not what I'd call hot. As a matter of fact, a friend and I were doing some enameling on copper. Putting a wet-enameled piece on top of a kiln is a way to get the enamel to dry faster. We had a debate about whether the top of the SC kiln was warm enough for it to make any difference -- which I guess is an indication that it doesn't get very hot.

The glowing elements do look a little scary when they're that bright, but remember that the kilns are designed for metal clay, which takes much higher temperatures than we use. (If I'm remembering right, original silver PMC fired at 1760F or thereabouts.) The elements don't glow that much at annealing temp.