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Up Topic Welding Industry / Welding Fundamentals / Driving to WORK in REVERSE is NEGATIVE
- - By Inspectroleum (*) Date 07-30-2006 20:45
When I was learning to weld pipe with a TIG root/hot pass and Lo-hy fill I always struggled to remember which lead went where when switching from DC straight polarity (TIG) to DC Reverse polarity (E7018) on our DC welding machines.

I thought up this little saying and I have never forgotten which lead goes where:

  Driving to WORK in REVERSE is NEGATIVE.

So when using DC Reverse Polarity, the work (ground clamp) is negative = DCRP
Parent - - By jwright650 (*****) Date 07-31-2006 10:20
I use a simple form of mind juggling to help me remember also.....here's mine:

....straight polarity=DCEN (DC Electrode Negative) because the minus sign "-" is just a straight line

and of course reversed=DCEP (DC Electrode Positive) because it is the reverse of DCEN.
Parent - - By fbrieden (***) Date 07-31-2006 18:32
Mr. Wright,

I'm going to use your suggestion on my Welding Technology class this year. Hopefully, it will relieve some of the confusion and frustration concerning polarity.
Parent - By jwright650 (*****) Date 07-31-2006 18:34
Works for me :-)
Parent - - By RonG (****) Date 08-25-2006 20:28
One easy way to remember it is "RP=RP" Reverse polarity equals "rod" positive. An old Navy weld instructor told me that years ago and I use it to teach my students today.
Curtis

Not mine. There have been earlier threads on this topic and I cut and pasted. John you should remember that one. At least you said you would when you replied to it:)
Parent - By jwright650 (*****) Date 08-28-2006 01:41
You're right. I should have remembered that one :-)
Parent - By TozziWelding (**) Date 09-15-2006 14:09
RP= rod positive, Thats how I learned it after burning up many a tungsten.
Parent - - By GLS Date 08-01-2006 17:53
Another is political in nature, but if you can see past that--

SENate-Straight Electrode Negative
REPresentative--Reverse Electrode Positive

gls
Parent - - By sdcwi (*) Date 08-23-2006 04:35
The best way I've had it explained was: R.P.= R.P.  If your Rod (electrode) is Positive, you have Reverse Polarity.  If you have Reverse Polarity, your Rod is Positive.
Parent - By 357max (***) Date 08-23-2006 16:01
AWS - "Reverse Polarity - A nonstandard term for Direct Current Electrode Positive". "Straight Polarity - A nonstandard term for Direct Current Electrode Negative". Welding machines weld output terminal/connections are identified as + or - or work or electrode. + is Positive and - is Negative. Is the electrode cable attached to the + or the - weld output terminal??
Welders should know the arc and what a DC electrode positive arc looks and sounds like. And, if the polarity is switched to electrode negative what it looks and sounds like. As a CWI I have witnessed too many welds made with the wrong polarity, E-7018 or 6010 on electrode negative. And witnessed the cut outs and rewelds of those same welds. This usually occurs when a SMAW machine is used for the GTAW root pass with direct current electrode negative and the hot fill and cover is SMAW direct current electrode positive. And with FCAW some electrodes are electrode negative and some are electrode positive. GMAW is usually/always used with electrode positive.
A good training exercise for students/all of us welders is weld with the correct amperage/voltage and polarity and just/only "reverse" (confusing) the cable connections and note the difference.
Up Topic Welding Industry / Welding Fundamentals / Driving to WORK in REVERSE is NEGATIVE

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