i am no an aficionado, these are just some notes:
we use a P-97 pipette puller. you can find the pipette cookbook online that has a bunch of different programs for pulling pipettes.
every once in a while, it is important to pull a ramp test from a cold machine. this tells us how the filament is doing.
to get a narrower point, you can increase the velocity
to get a smaller tip, you can increase the heat slightly
a lot of this is trial and error until you dial in the electrode that works out well.
it is good practice to organize electrodes from big to small
- large cleaning electrodes are good for doing the majority of stuff and then smaller ones are good for more detailed work
references
notes from John