Older cubers discussions

Just did a 7x7 solve and it must have taken half an hour. It was painful.
Speaking of painful, check out this video of me showing how I did the Petrus method (if you like torture). This was literally the night a kid at church peaked my interest in cubes again in 2015. I posted a 46 second solve video later that month. I had no clue what I was doing hardly, like putting in my last slot I just fumble around until it's there. Hahaha

 
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My first 6x6 solve I had to look up a tutorial on L2C. Leaving the timer running while I watched the tutorial didn't change the time much on a percentage basis, as I recall.
I'd forgotten most of the L2C techniques so ended up using far too many commutators but it was finding edge pieces that was most excruciating.
 
Speaking of painful, check out this video of me showing how I did the Petrus method (if you like torture). This was literally the night a kid at church peaked my interest in cubes again in 2015. I posted a 46 second video later that month. I had no clue what I was doing hardly, like putting in my last slot I just fumble around until it's there. Hahaha

That was quite a solve!
 
I'm sure that sub 2:30 at 5x5 is also within reach for you. You are faster than me on average at 5x5 and, all of a sudden, I dropped 10 seconds my PB single the other day and got (barely) below 2:30 so if I could you also can.

I checked my 6x6 session on csTimer with all the times I got since I bought the Yuxin 6x6 and I lied to you :) I have solved it 27 seven times already. Best Ao5 in the session is 7:59.xx so I'm super-duper-fast :p

Thanks, yes I think 5x5 is within reach. A part of me feels that after 1000+ timed solves I should be there already! Did some further checking and my 5x5 PB is actually 2:32.xx so I'm closer than I realised.

For 6x6, after 27 solves my best Ao5 was 9:02.71 so you're well ahead of where I was with that amount of practice.

Just did a 7x7 solve and it must have taken half an hour. It was painful.

For cubes that big it takes quite a while to learn the best way to handle a lot of the cases. I haven't solved a 7x7 for a few weeks now and ought to get back in the groove with that.

Speaking of painful, check out this video of me showing how I did the Petrus method (if you like torture). This was literally the night a kid at church peaked my interest in cubes again in 2015. I posted a 46 second video later that month. I had no clue what I was doing hardly, like putting in my last slot I just fumble around until it's there. Hahaha


Entertaining! I'm often tempted to learn some basic Petrus for FMC. I'm guessing it would be fairly simple to be colour-neutral on Petrus from the start for something like FMC where it's not an actual speedsolve.
 
You don't need to be colour-neutral for FMC, you just scramble the cube with whatever colour orientation/rotation takes your fancy. As long as the solution ends up solving the cube, (ie. do the scramble followed by your solution, and you end up with a solved cube) it counts.
 
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So I tried propping my cube up on a cereal box on the kitchen counter, because my wife would kill me if I bought a tripod just to record myself cubing (she's so totally supportive of cubing as a hobby in general #cough cough#).

Here's an alternative camera angle, let me know what you think:


A reasonable (17.50) Ao5. Here's my 2 cents, please feel free to chime in:

1. 18.14 U2 F D2 L2 F R2 B D2 U2 B D R' U' R2 U F2 U' F L B - 2 look OLL, otherwise just a few stalls on F2L, not horrendous.
2. 16.73 B2 L2 F2 D2 L2 F2 D' R2 B2 D2 L B2 F' L2 U' B2 R2 - 2 look OLL, saved from obscurity by PLL skip. Average F2L.
3. (14.49) L2 U F2 D2 B2 D L2 B2 U2 R B' U' R2 D2 B U2 L' B2 R2 - 1 look OLL, easy cross, predictably fast - this is how all solves should be!!!
4. 17.62 D' B2 F2 D L2 D U2 R2 B2 U' R2 L' D' R2 U F' D2 U' B U' L' - 2 look OLL...
5. (18.61) R' F D2 R' L U R' U R2 F D B2 D2 B2 U' L2 D R2 L2 - mis-inserted 2 cross edges, but somehow still brought it in sub-19!

And that REALLY is it, no more timer for me this week!!!!

Things to work on (as if I didn't already know) include learn OLL (only 1 look in this Ao5 was sub-15!) and work on fluidity in F2L. Blind cross practice also...
 
Playing musical chairs with my main. After the Valk broke in I loosened my backup Thunderclap because I was adjusting to the faster turning. Now the Valk has gotten gummy/sluggish after a couple weeks. Gave it a quarter turn all around last night but it's going to need more (and/or lube). I like the better stability of the Valk but the stock Thunderclap is behaving nicely.
 
Playing musical chairs with my main. After the Valk broke in I loosened my backup Thunderclap because I was adjusting to the faster turning. Now the Valk has gotten gummy/sluggish after a couple weeks. Gave it a quarter turn all around last night but it's going to need more (and/or lube). I like the better stability of the Valk but the stock Thunderclap is behaving nicely.
The ever reliable Thunderclap.
 
Manchester on 14/15th January anyone? Registration is open. Not sure if I can go but I've put my name down. Will speak to the wife when I catch her in a good mood.
http://www.ukca.org/competitions/upcoming-competitions/manchester-open-2017

Had some provisional plans for that weekend as I'd figured a comp was more likely for the end of January than mid-January, so uncertain if I can get to this one. Will be there if practical to do so. There's a high capacity, so won't rush to register just yet. Good luck with Mrs Base.
 
Weird night with the timer. I should have been in bed, certainly not cubing and certainly not timing. Got struck by lightning twice in an inconsistent ao12 though: a 23.33 out of the blue, anti-sune and U perm (still with my goofy S slices, at that). Then the final solve landed 29.99, very pedestrian F2L ending in a full LL skip. I can only recall a handful of LL skips ever, too bad it was wasted there lol. I think that 23 is gonna stand for a while, ridiculous outlier.

Average: 39.34 (σ = 5.83)
Mean: 39.02

Time List:
1. 33.32 U2 F' D L F R' D F U2 B' U2 F2 L' D2 R' F2 B2 L' F2 L2
2. 44.82 D2 R' D2 F2 L2 D2 L' U2 L' B2 R2 U' L' U R' U2 B' D2 F D'
3. 44.89 U2 F2 L2 F D2 L U R' U2 R2 U2 B R2 F2 R2 L2 F' L2 U2 D
4. 23.33 D' L' U B2 L U2 L D' F' L2 U' B2 D F2 B2 D' R2 L
5. 51.46 F U L2 B2 L2 B2 D' U2 L2 R2 F' L D B L B2 D2 L2 F2
6. 48.11 D2 B F U2 L2 B' L2 D2 B R2 F' R D2 U' F2 D R B F' D2
7. 40.10 D L2 B2 U' F2 D' R2 D U' L U' R2 D' L2 B' D' R' U2 B2
8. 34.54 D2 R' U2 R2 D2 R' U2 R' B2 R2 D' R B' D R' U L' F2 U2
9. 35.68 U2 B' L2 F' R2 B L2 U2 F2 R2 D' L2 R D R F2 L' B L
10. 41.97 U2 R F L2 B' L2 U' D R' F' B2 D F2 U F2 L2 D' F2 U' R2
11. 39.97 D2 R2 F2 D R2 B2 D2 U' R' U R2 F' D' B2 U' B2 L2 D2
12. 29.99 L B2 D2 L' F2 L D2 L2 D2 F2 L2 F D' L B F2 U' F2 U' L' R
 
@pipkiksass - Much better angle :)

@newtonbase - Manchester Open is unlikely for me as attending Birmingham Open for both days in a fortnight. Also might be walking straight from redundancy on 30th December straight into a three month contract.

@pglewis - Lovely single!

Going to try and get a sub 6 minute mean on film today. Got a 6:04.xy the other day
 
@Selkie, congrats on landing the contract, and enjoy the tax benefits of the redundancy package!!! [emoji6] I'm torn on Yuxin vs QiYi for 6x6 because I have small hands. Following your unboxing vid, the Yuxin looks a good size for me but the QiYi sounds the better cube... not really sure the extra few mm would really make a difference...

While I'm exploiting your expertise, I don't suppose you could make a 2 minute vid about megaminx notation? I'm trying to get in to it, but can't find a good guide that adequately explains the basic notation. I can solve up to and including LL edge orientation intuitively, but from there I'm shafted!! I've been trying to use Odder's LL alg sheet (I'd link it, but I'm on mobile), but any alternative sources of mega-info would be greatly appreciated.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Hi guys. I finally passed yesterday my professional assessment in my company so no more weekends studying for me! I can have a bit more time for cubing again. On the other hand speedsolving forum is now on my company's proxy content filter black list so I cannot access the page any more from my corporate laptop. I'm writing this on Tapatalk. I will have to make use of my own desktop computer that I haven't used for months. [emoji17]

Sent from my Nexus 4 with Tapatalk
 
@Shaky Hands - Andy, yes mate, 7x7. Took a few warm up solves this weather but got it:-

7x7 mo3: 5:49.64
5:53.83, 5:51.29, 5:43.79
Just editing the video and will upload and link soon. PB single and mean.

@pipkiksass - Thank you, it is not landed yet and there is a certain clause in my contract that needs agreeing to be removed if I am to take it but nice as the contract came to me, not me to it. To be fair I wanted to do contract for a year or two after the redundancy so hopefully will work out for the best. Whilst a break would be very welcome I am more eager to start work immediately.

Yes, more than happy to make a megaminx video but will probably be tomorrow if that is ok? Will also try and find the resources I first used. I started at very beginner LL (commutators for corner orientation as well as corner permutation) to what is now beginner. Essentially what I do now is:-

EO: F(R U R' U')F' and its inverse
CO: Odders guide - Dont need to learn them all. Sune/ASune combos
EP: J Perm and Y Perm from 3x3, (R2 U2 R2' U R2 U2 R2') and its inverse
CP: Commutators

@mafergut - Congratulations on the work assessment :)
 
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