In an attempt to reduce the erosion of my stationary RSG tungsten electrodes, I machined on my lathe a set of small heat sinks that mount 1/2" away from the spark gap firing point. They are similar to those shown on the "hvtesla.com" web site except mine are made from aluminum instead of copper. The problem is that the high temperature seems to be pitting the face of the heat sinks facing the spark gap. I note that aluminum melts at 1200 degrees F and copper melts at 1900 degrees F.
In an attempt to correct this pitting problem I have ordered a set of aluminum nitride sheets. Each is 1.5" x 1.5" x 1 mm. Aluminum nitride is a ceramic which melts at 4000 degrees F. My idea is to attach these small sheets to the face of the heat sink closest to the spark gap in order to prevent the pitting (melting) of the aluminum. I then wondered if attaching copper sheets to the aluminum would have done the job since copper's melting point is higher.
Does anyone using copper heat sinks on the stationary tungsten electrodes have a problem with the copper pitting (melting)?
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