So, is this the kiln you have?
http://www.paragonweb.com/CALDERA_S0743-13.cfm
Have you seen this? It's a pretty nifty "interactive" demo on how to program the Sentry 3-key controller:
http://www.paragonweb.com/VideoInfo.cfm?VID=62 I suggest using this and just playing with it a bit...you'll get a good sense for what the buttons do and how you can go into the different segments of each program and modify them; if you mess up, just use your mouse to press the on-screen "on/off" (red/green) button and you can start all over.
Here's another YouTube Vid that actually shows you how to program and what each button does; it will help you understand this controller much better. The kiln shown is different than yours but the controller should be (and program) the same:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyJc0tiwi1Y
OK...a couple quick questions:
* Do you have a bead door/collar so that you can fire this kiln up, have it hold/garage at a certain temperature, then place the beads into it as you're making them? If so, it will be bye-bye batch annealing, and probably bye-bye to lots of cracked beads too!
* If you're wanting to program the kiln to garage the beads as you make them, keep in mind you can also use this same schedule to batch anneal - at least I did! I have found that structurally sound beads can be ramped up at full speed to 940-960 without any ill effects. With this in mind, you can program your kiln once and use the same program for batch annealing = ramp, hold, anneal, and cool down.
Here's how my schedule is set up using this very same controller. Note I use the * symbol in my instructions since I can't find the "degree symbol" on my keyboard
. Ok...let's get started!
1. Turn kiln on. The display will flash a couple numbers (which are irrelevant unless you're calling Paragon for Customer Service) then show "IDLE".
2. As soon as "IDLE" is displayed, press the "Start/Stop" key just once. Display should show "PrO1" This is how you create your Program 1. If it doesn't not display "PrO1" - possibly displaying "Cone" instead - use the Higher/Lower keys until the display shows "PrO1". (Note: If you're controller is a single-program style, you may not find "PrO1" in the display. Hopefully it will go directly to displaying "rA 1" then proceed to step #3 below)
3. Press the "Start/Stop" key just once again. Display now shows "rA 1" This is the ramp up speed of the first segment of your Program 1. It may be flashing/displaying numbers or possibly all "0000". Regardless, use the Higher/Lower buttons to scroll through until it reads "FULL". This will mean that your ramp up will be at "FULL" speed.
4. Press the "Start/Stop" key just once again. Display will flash between "*F 1" and a number. The *F you now select will be the temperature you want to target for your hold. Scroll through using the "Higher/Lower" buttons until the display reads 940 (which is what I garage and hold at).
5. Press the "Start/Stop" key just once again. Display will flash between "Hld 1" (the "HOLD" segment of your Program 1) and "00.00" (or possibly some other numbers. Ignore them!
) Using the "Higher/Lower" buttons, scroll through until "10.00" is displayed. This will mean that your temperature of 940 (as you just put in) will HOLD for 10 hours. Don't worry if you are finished with your session before this; I will tell you how to do a "skip" later and it will automatically go to the next segment (your GARAGE holding) then finish up fine.
6. Press the "Start/Stop" key just once again. Display will flash between "rA 2" and some numbers (or possibly "0000"). This is your "Ramp 2" segment of Program 1, and will determine the speed at which your kiln will ramp down to the next segment. Using the "Higher/Lower" buttons, scroll until the display reads "30". This will mean that over the course of 30 minutes, your temperature will change according to the next step. Just do it! And you'll see in the next step why...
7. Press the "Start/Stop" key just once again. The display will flash between "*F 2" and a number. The "*F 2" represents the degrees that you will now be ramping down to. Using the Higher/Lower keys, scroll until the display reads "930". This will be your garaging temperature.
(Note: My kiln runs a little hot, so I figure this is actually a garage/hold of about 940 or so degrees. Try this schedule and see if it works for you. You may want to change your Target temperature in Step #4 above to 960 and the temp in this Step #7 to 940.)
8. Press the "Start/Stop" key just once again. The display will flash between "HlD 2" and some numbers. This will be the time you indicate how long you want to GARAGE and HOLD your beads to anneal at the temperature you've selected in Step #7 above (in my kiln's case 930 degrees). Using the "Higher/Lower" buttons, scroll until the display reads "30". This will hold the GARAGING temperature you've selected for 30 minutes. This is my standard garage time, and I've never had anything not anneal properly, even my larger beads.
9. Press the "Start/Stop" key just once again. The display will flash between "rA 3" and some numbers. Using the "Higher/Lower" buttons, scroll until the display reads "200". This means that at your next segment - a partial cool down - the temperature will reduce at 200 degrees per hour.
10. Press the "Start/Stop" key just once again. The display will flash between "*F 3" and a number. Using the "Higher/Lower" buttons, scroll until the display reads "700". This will mean that Segment 3 of Program 1 will hold the temperature at 700 degrees.
11. Press the "Start/Stop" key just once again. The display will flash between "HLd 3" and a number. Using the "Higher/Lower" buttons, scroll until the display reads "30". This will mean that that Segment 3 of Program 1 will hold the 700 degree temperature for 30 minutes. (Note that after the 30 minute 700 degree hold, the kiln will shut off and slowly cool to room temperature. Keep the door/lid closed and no peeking - or you may cause stress and cracking.)
12. Press the "Start/Stop" key just once again. The display will show "START".
13. Press the Start/Stop key just once again. The display will show "On". The kiln will now follow the program that you gave it, with the FULL RAMP, the 940 degree 10 hour hold, the 30 minute 930 hold, the 30 minute 700 degree hold and then off.
If you've done your torch session and you'd like to skip from the 10 hour (which of course is counting down from the time you start the program) target and you'd like to head right to the "GARAGING" Segment, do the following:
1. Any time during the 10 hour HOLD, Press the "Higher" (red on the Sentry) Button just once.
2. Press the "Stop" Button twice - quickly.
This will immediately "skip" the remainder of the 10 hour HOLD and go right to the "GARAGE" segment as you've programmed it.
Well, hope this helps. I recommend you cut, paste and print this post out and use it as a guide. You can even go to the Paragon link I gave you above with the "interactive" demo and run through it a bunch of times so you're comfortable and ready to do it on you actual kiln.
Good luck!
De
Kiln Annealing Schedule Question???
I've saved my instructions in my Word program, so that if anyone else needs 'em in the future if (or should I say "when") this thread gets buried over time, I can pop 'em back in and save bunches of time. 
)
