has slot 68 formed in the upper end thereof communicating with the opening 66 bolts 70 extend through the body from one side to the other and into a threaded opneing in the opposite side of the body not seen so that the body may be clamped onto the cylindrical member 60 extending from the forward end of body 64 are a pair of torsion arms 72a and 72b the outer end of the arms are bent at 72a 39 and 72b 39 and extend in axial alignment towards each other an electrode engagement member 74 has an axial opening 74a therethrough which receives the opposed torsion arm end portion 72a 39 and 72b 39 arms 72a and 72b are of flexible metal and are bent such as to be biased resiliently downwardly at the outer ends so that retention force is applied by engagement member 74 against the electrode 42 when the electrode 42 is burnt down to near the forward end 60a of the cylindrical member it can be easily removed and replaced by a new length of electrode it can be seen that the length of electrode required to be supported in the holder of fig4 is substantially less than that which is.