Patent ID: 7325292

Claim:
A method for refinishing a test electrode coaxially maintained in a cylinder comprising expelling conductive core material from the cylinder and refinishing the tip of the electrode in accordance with the sequence of (1) positioning the cylinder containing the electrode in a holder in a tool wherein the electrode to be reused and a means within the tool are concentrically aligned along a longitudinal axis in a relationship in which (a) the used end of the electrode is disposed toward a receptacle fixed in place in the tool and the opposite end of the electrode is disposed such that the core is in contact with a longitudinally moveable means of the tool, and (b) the cylinder coaxially surrounding the core of the electrode is maintained in a fixed relationship with respect to the receptacle in the tool; (2) incrementally extending the moveable end of the tool with respect to the core such that a segment of the core is incrementally expelled from the cylinder a longitudinal distance corresponding to the longitudinal movement of the tool; (3) removing the electrode from the tool; and (4) refinishing the electrode by removing material from the core expelled until the core in the electrode is smooth with respect to the end surface of the cylinder coaxially surrounding the core.