To provide an electric power supply stub which securely protects steel ingots produced by remelting of expendable electrodes from contamination caused by the molten stub material and improves the consumption rate of the electrodes, and to provide a vacuum arc melting furnace having the stub.

A vacuum arc melting furnace has a power supply stub 14 the lower end of which is welded to the upper end of an expendable electrode A. The lower end portion of the stub 14 is shaped to have an opening 18. This opening allows glow arc generated at the end of melting process on account of voids or cracks appearing on the surface of the upper end of electrode A to run out though it, protecting the stub from being melt.