The possibilities for controlling of the surfacing process and the features of the formation of beads when changing the current polarity of the main arc current from reverse to direct polarity are studied. It is established that a change in polarity significantly changes the currents of the main and additional arcs. With direct polarity, melting the electrode wire at a given rate requires lower values of the arc current, but the amount of heat release on the base metal is insufficient to obtain a normally formed bead of the needed width.