A method of welding a workpiece, the method comprising: selecting a flux cored arc welding electrode; advancing the electrode from a welding device toward a workpiece; and employing a short arc welding process to weld the workpiece using the advancing electrode, characterized in that flux cored arc welding electrode is self-shielding and has an alloy/flux system comprising from 35 to 55 % barium fluoride, from 2 to 12 % lithium fluoride, from 0 to 15 % lithium oxide, from 0 to 15 % barium oxide, from 5 to 20 % iron oxide, and up to 25 % of a deoxidation and denitriding agent; and in that the short arc welding process comprises: applying a first negative voltage between the self-shielding electrode and the workpiece to cause at least partial melting of the self-shielding electrode proximate the substrate, applying a positive voltage between the self-shielding electrode and the workpiece to promote formation of a flowable mass of material from the self-shielding electrode, monitoring for occurance of an electrical short between the self-shielding electrode and the workpiece through the flowable mass, applying a second negative voltage between the self-shielded electrode and the workpiece upon detecting electrical short, and increasing the magnitude of the second negative voltage, to hereby clear the electrical short and form a weld on the workpiece from the flowable mass. wherein the weld has a yield strength of at least 70 ksi (483 Mpa). selecting a flux cored arc welding electrode; advancing the electrode from a welding device toward a workpiece; and employing a short arc welding process to weld the workpiece using the advancing electrode, characterized in that flux cored arc welding electrode is self-shielding and has an alloy/flux system comprising from 35 to 55 % barium fluoride, from 2 to 12 % lithium fluoride, from 0 to 15 % lithium oxide, from 0 to 15 % barium oxide, from 5 to 20 % iron oxide, and up to 25 % of a deoxidation and denitriding agent; and in that the short arc welding process comprises: applying a first negative voltage between the self-shielding electrode and the workpiece to cause at least partial melting of the self-shielding electrode proximate the substrate, applying a positive voltage between the self-shielding electrode and the workpiece to promote formation of a flowable mass of material from the self-shielding electrode, monitoring for occurance of an electrical short between the self-shielding electrode and the workpiece through the flowable mass, applying a second negative voltage between the self-shielded electrode and the workpiece upon detecting electrical short, and increasing the magnitude of the second negative voltage, to hereby clear the electrical short and form a weld on the workpiece applying a first negative voltage between the self-shielding electrode and the workpiece to cause at least partial melting of the self-shielding electrode proximate the substrate, applying a positive voltage between the self-shielding electrode and the workpiece to promote formation of a flowable mass of material from the self-shielding electrode, monitoring for occurance of an electrical short between the self-shielding electrode and the workpiece through the flowable mass, applying a second negative voltage between the self-shielded electrode and the workpiece upon detecting electrical short, and increasing the magnitude of the second negative voltage, to hereby clear the electrical short and form a weld on the workpiece from the flowable mass.