Tony Fisher's 13x13x13 Ball in a Cube

[unsolved]

Haha Tony got Ninja'd.

And what does that mean?

 

[Tony Fisher]

Ha ha, for anyone confused it's my puzzle at it's new home. Now I can see what you were doing with the colours.

 

[unsolved]

Ha ha, for anyone confused it's my puzzle at it's new home. Now I can see what you were doing with the colours.

Yep, it's an awesome puzzle Tony, thanks for making it. The frame can match the sphere, as you see. The "alg" to make pictures or spell things on the 13x13x13 is pretty easy. 4 slices turns can create any horizontal row of centers. You just build the image one slice at a time.

I wasn't disassembling the cube to make that, if that is what you were thinking. One center popped out after the end cap to one of the edges came loose, a result of the trans-atlantic voyage I suppose. With your guidance, I got it all back together. Smooth sailing ever since.

 

[Tony Fisher]

I like the lettering but as you know I think it looks far better with middle colours different to the edges. That way it really looks like a ball in a cube and you almost feel as if you could remove it. That illusion is lost by matching them.

 

[unsolved]

I like the lettering but as you know I think it looks far better with middle colours different to the edges. That way it really looks like a ball in a cube and you almost feel as if you could remove it. That illusion is lost by matching them.

That is very true. Once it is solved, I occasionally shift the frame. But while your solving it, you need a "frame of reference." On such a large cube, I need to solve the perimeter first, or it's too hard to find the exact center color out of the 169 stickers.

Edit: Here you go, offset color frame restored...

By the way, which one of your sphere-in-a-cube puzzles requires new algs to solve and does not behave like a regular cube?

 

[Tony Fisher]

By the way, which one of your sphere-in-a-cube puzzles requires new algs to solve and does not behave like a regular cube?

That would be my first. It was made from an Eastsheen 4x4x4 which has an internal block to prevent misalignment. That block worked brilliantly to make my puzzle more interesting to solve and also easier to physically use. I resisted making other ball in cube puzzles for a long time after this since I thought they should all be as interesting and not just a shape variation. When I eventually made the 13x13x13 version though I realised they looked really nice and that alone was reason enough to make them.
The video is 8 years old and I really need to do an updated version with dialogue.

 

[unsolved]

That would be my first. It was made from an Eastsheen 4x4x4 which has an internal block to prevent misalignment. That block worked brilliantly to make my puzzle more interesting to solve and also easier to physically use.

That is awesome! It's a shame you can't mass produce these after you get the prototypes working.

By the way, I changed my avatar in deference to the offset frame to call more attention to the sphere, as per your recommendations.