Welding rod polarity

[TechnicAl]

Fingernailing / Feathering....both describe it

Its when the end of the rod burns off at the same angle as your holding to the plate.....rather than a square end burn off....is that a good description....as Brad says it happens when the coating is eccentric but it sometimes happens on one pole but not the other......I could never find out why.......I tried lots of variables but never really got to the reason....we had one rod that was particularly prone on the positive.

 

[Liquid Metal]

Ive always noticed when welding an open root on plate with either a 6013, or a 7016 (DCEN) especialy vertical, that the rod seems to burn off un-even... it seems as if am "pulling" the weld up the root and the arc looks as if coming off the rod tip at an angle downward towards the puddle rather than straight in, even if using a 5deg or so push.
Also if welding the root in a pipe with a Fleet, it looks as though the same is happening. A lot more noticable though, the flux looks like it tapers to a point, and the arc once again pointing straight back into the weld rather than straight out the end ofnthe rod.
Isnt going over to the side ( which does happen every now and then) , but directly backwards, and the metal looks like its depositing behind the rod rather than at the tip.
(If that makes sense,... my actual theoretical understanding of stick welding isnt the greatest tbh).

 

[Kent]

Fingernailing / Feathering....both describe it

Its when the end of the rod burns off at the same angle as your holding to the plate.....rather than a square end burn off....is that a good description....as Brad says it happens when the coating is eccentric but it sometimes happens on one pole but not the other......I could never find out why.......I tried lots of variables but never really got to the reason....we had one rod that was particularly prone on the positive.

Deffo had it with ill centred electrodes (normally cheap 6013)