New Welder

[TomG]

Generally, an electrode is tapered a bit for steel (not to a sharp point) and supposedly the grind lines should be parallel to the electrode to guide the arc. Not sure it really helps, but I do it that way anyway. Electrodes for aluminum require a balled tip created by drawing an arc off a piece of copper using reverse polarity. Use smaller electrodes and balls or tips (for steel) for lower amperage and the opposite for higher amperage.

Tom