A collector electrode and adjacent electric weld torch are placed at a selected distance from a work surface or substrate. An electric welding current is generated so that a welding current arc forms between the collector electrode and the weld torch. A feed metal is then fed into the welding current arc and is melted into molten metal adjacent to the collector electrode. The molten metal is then deposited onto a work surface. The collector electrode and weld torch are positioned so that the welding current arc between the weld torch and the collector electrodes does not penetrate the work surface or the already-deposited metal.
