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All graphite is pretty rigid and 0.050" thick is not particularly skinny, so I'm not quite sure where you're having your problem.
Is it in fabricating the electrode?
Is it in deflection of the trode during use?

In any event, the finest grade of graphite I know of is POCO Angstrofine...very wear resistant, capable of holding very fine detail and super expensive to buy.

The other graphite grade often used by moldmakers for burns like deep ribs is POCO C3 copper impregnated graphite.
It's heavier than straight graphite and seems to have been the Go-To choice before Angstrofine came along.

I haven't used graphite for trodes for many years, however I remember that grinding C3 was a special pain in the ass; not because it was hard to grind but because it left a really nasty aftertaste if you breathed it in, and you'd get an unpleasant whiff even if you wore a respirator but forgot to blow yourself down with an air hose before you took the respirator off.
Even the vacuum system we had where I worked was not enough to keep that damned smell at bay.

Others didn't bitch and whine as much as I did, so maybe I was hypersensitive to it, but I sure hated that shit!!

It did however, make great electrodes!
Cheers

Marcus
Implant Mechanix • Design & Innovation > HOME
www.vancouverwireedm.com

Hi Robert:All graphite is pretty rigid and 0.050" thick is not particularly skinny, so I'm not quite sure where you're having your problem.Is it in fabricating the electrode?Is it in deflection of the trode during use?In any event, the finest grade of graphite I know of is POCO Angstrofine...very wear resistant, capable of holding very fine detail and super expensive to buy.The other graphite grade often used by moldmakers for burns like deep ribs is POCO C3 copper impregnated graphite.It's heavier than straight graphite and seems to have been the Go-To choice before Angstrofine came along.I haven't used graphite for trodes for many years, however I remember that grinding C3 was a special pain in the ass; not because it was hard to grind but because it left a really nasty aftertaste if you breathed it in, and you'd get an unpleasant whiff even if you wore a respirator but forgot to blow yourself down with an air hose before you took the respirator off.Even the vacuum system we had where I worked was not enough to keep that damned smell at bay.Others didn't bitch and whine as much as I did, so maybe I was hypersensitive to it, but I sure hated that shit!!It did however, make great electrodes!CheersMarcus