Flux core hep!

[Stickmaister]

Hi everyone!
I’ve been welding a excavator bucket and it been going fine. Cracked gouged out and building the gap back up now stacking multiple laters.
Using esab TUBROD flux core wire.

Suddenly the weld has been forking very poor. I can hear the difference and it seems to be burning into the parent material more and I can see its not forming properly and the slag is bubbling.

Any ideas whats wrong?
The wire has a slight coating of surface rust in places. Could it be this?

Any help greatly appreciated

 

[Stickmaister]

Typo =*weld has been FORMING very poor**

 

[Erie Fred]

Has your gas flow stopped somehow ?

 

[Rob-J]

I'm a noob at this, but what I have learned is that moisture can damage flux core MIG wire, and given that you say that the wire has "... surface rust in places.", for me, that's a red flag right there.

But wait and see what the guys that know way better than I do, have to say.

 

[Mark 2]

Try a different wire. It will then become obvious as to whether it's the machine or the wire. My money is on the latter.

 

[BrokenBiker]

Probably iffy wire, but out of curiosity what gas are you using? Has the wind picked up since you started welding? Are you welding over a substantially thicker area now?

Have you got some similar thickness scrap to run a weld on to eliminate the parent material or another spool of wire to eliminate the wire being the issue?

 

[fizzy]

Has your gas flow stopped somehow ?

Flux core.

 

[fizzy]

Probably iffy wire, but out of curiosity what gas are you using? Has the wind picked up since you started welding? Are you welding over a substantially thicker area now?

Have you got some similar thickness scrap to run a weld on to eliminate the parent material or another spool of wire to eliminate the wire being the issue?

Flux core.

 

[Mark 2]

It's gas shielded flux core by the looks.

 

[BrokenBiker]

Flux core.

Esab tubrod is a gas shield flux core, recommended to be run with full fat co2

 

[Mark 2]

So it would appear that you have run out of gas for this 'Dual shielded process '