<< Original poster: "LOCKWOOD, Chris J." <clockwood-at-orbeng-dot-com.au> has anybody tried using brushes instead of a gap? I think a fellow named Tesla might have. The difficulty I see is that at the high current, the break will cause a good voltage spike which might cause difficulty in quenching. Also, carbon brushes might get hot enough to create power arcs like in a carbon arc lamp. Good Luck, Mike