[TCML] sucker gap material

[jimlux]

Yurtle Turtle wrote:
> More telling than machining is welding. While machining metal can get it hot, welding is more like what it will experience in a spark gap. 316L SS can be welded with no problems from fumes.
> 
> Adam
> 


the issue with SS isn't it's melting point or stuff like that.. It's the 
terrible thermal conductivity.  SS spark gap electrodes greatly suffer 
from the "hot spot" problem.. a small area gets hot and then all the 
sparks tend to start there (because of thermionic emission) making it 
even hotter.

Copper conducts the heat away from the cathode spot, so the sparks tend 
to move around on the electrode surface, and be more consistent.