Aaron did you sharpen the high voltage electrode into a point, and leave the low voltage electrode's end flat? This greatly improves the plasma or corona discharge.
Corona Discharge- An electrical discharge characterized by a corona and occurring when one of two electrodes in a gas has a shape causing the electric field at its surface to be significantly greater than that between the electrodes.

By sharpening the high voltage electrode, my switching tube went from a sputtering small, every-once-in-a-while, to a flame like glowing arc. Its now making a sound, like when someone exhales air forcefully.