On June 15 2009 16:13 Cube wrote:
i still have trouble with my DIY :<

what you should do is tighten the springs so the sides are hard to turn, then solve the cube a ton of times, after this you should loosen the screws again. stretching the springs also helps. the most important part i think is to get the cube sliding smoothly by grinding down the sides. after that just tinker with the screws until you get a configuration you like

I could try that, I might hurt my hands solving it so many times when its hard to turn

Why would stretching the springs help though, that would make them more resistant, sort of undoing what I'm trying to do

I was thinking of cutting maybe 1/4 cm from the ends of each spring, but that maybe kind of risky =P

Cube

Canada777 Posts

June 15 2009 07:25 GMT

#28

honestly you should just work through the pain!

i have never tried cutting springs but would not reccomend it

i have no idea why stretching springs helps, it just does

Assault_1

Canada1950 Posts

June 15 2009 07:27 GMT

#29

On June 15 2009 16:25 Cube wrote:
honestly you should just work through the pain!

i have never tried cutting springs but would not reccomend it

i have no idea why stretching springs helps, it just does

mm going to have to do better than that lol

maybe i'll just leave it loose and try to control the popping, but I dont really see anything wrong with cutting the springs - its basically making making the same tension but with the screw heads closer so it dont pop

Grobyc

Canada18410 Posts

June 15 2009 07:30 GMT

#30

On June 15 2009 16:20 Cube wrote:
can we still fix spelling mistakes (and any pictures that are wrong (i hope not... :< ) after the 18:00 deadline?

+ Show Spoiler [From FrozenArbiter] +

No updates to guides may be made after 18:00 KST (see clock at top right of TL).
18:00 KST is 11 AM CET, 5 AM EST and 2 AM PST.

If you need to make changes to your guide (such as correcting spelling errors, or fixing dead links, send me a PM!

Editing after the hour may lead to disqualification.

Thank you.

http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=95120

Cube

Canada777 Posts

June 15 2009 07:31 GMT

#31

well thats really all i've got....

also thanks grobyc

Arbiter[frolix]

United Kingdom2674 Posts

June 15 2009 09:00 GMT

#32

My Great Uncle gave me a book on how to solve the Cube when I was a child, which was back when they were first popular in Britain.

Once my primary school teacher found out I could do it she initiated a process which concluded with me having to stand up and do it in front of the entire school. It was terrifying.

Archerofaiur

United States4101 Posts

June 15 2009 13:22 GMT

#33

Ive been trying to solve mine for years

Thanks cube. I will definatly check this out later.

Michaelj

United States186 Posts

June 15 2009 15:02 GMT

#34

Cubing is so fun! I haven't practiced seriously in YEARS, but I also used the Petrus Method (just about learned a 2-look LL when I stopped). I probably topped out somewhere in the mid-20s though.

I think the cube4you DIYs are just fine, and pretty consistent. If you have trouble with a tough cube, just rough it out for a week, sand the insides of the pieces, and lube it up, and it might just "break in"... I've had some toysrus cubes turn out beautifully that way. Regarding the cubesmith stickers, I actually don't like them very much. They do last forever, but the problem I found with mine is that they don't give you enough grip to do some quick moves... the cube slips out of my hands sometimes, but maybe that's just me

edit- just tried now, and after a lot of false starts, got a time of 52 =(. I forgot half of my algorithms to orient corners... The problem is, I had done a weird orient-first version of the Petrus method, so I have no idea where my algorithms came from!

Excalibur_Z

United States12252 Posts

June 15 2009 15:36 GMT

#35

On June 15 2009 15:44 Resonance wrote:
Wow best REAL guide I have read. This better get a beta key.

That's exactly what I was thinking when I read this. I read the whole thing and am very impressed with the amount of detail and information provided. Great stuff, Cube. Some spelling/grammar mistakes aside, your guide appears very effective and certainly readable. I hope you get a key also.

laikomg

Canada50 Posts

June 15 2009 16:12 GMT

#36

great guide, but can you help me solve my square one? ;o

+ Show Spoiler +

Impervious

Canada4222 Posts

June 15 2009 16:33 GMT

#37

Personally, I'm a fan of the V-Cubes. They're all very smooth, as soon as you get them.

Also - I came up with my own technique for solving larger cubes that is very efficient (it's a modification to the corners-first method, but I came up with it before I found out about the corners-first method. Hell, I came up with it before I learned anything more than the beginners method.....). I can do a 20X20 on Gabbasoft in under 1.5 hrs.

I've averaged around 40 seconds a solve with a traditional cube, and I've never practiced as much as you seem to have.

Biochemist

United States1008 Posts

June 15 2009 16:45 GMT

#38

The first method I learned was kinda unique... you solve the corners on one side first, then solve the corners on the opposite side. Then you usually have to solve the four remaining sides (all done at the same time), and do the edge pieces last. It's pretty slow (2-3 minutes as soon as you finish learning it), but because almost all the steps are 2-3 moves each you can learn to solve it with only ONE algorithm. Usually the last two edge pieces end up in each other's spots, and you have to do one long sequence to switch them.

I'd like to learn a more efficient method, but my cube broke and I haven't gotten around to replacing it yet!

Gliche

United States811 Posts

June 15 2009 16:59 GMT

#39

Nice guide. We had to solve the rubik's cube as our senior math final exam in high school. Looking over this guide was very cool.