Older cubers discussions

[newtonbase]

Nice... I can see the bit about the cubes wandering back and forth.

What size/strength magnets are you calling too much in a GTS?

2 sets of 4mm x 2mm N35 (4 per edge, 6 per corner).

 

[phreaker]

2 sets of 4mm x 2mm N35 (4 per edge, 6 per corner).

Did you try just one? 2xN35... That'd be pretty heavy.

 

[mafergut]

Do you know that with all this discussion about magnets you're sparking the urge of getting a magnetic 3x3 in me?
I know that sooner or later I'll buy or make one. Do you think it's easy enough to make it? I wouldn't want to pay $50 for one if I can easily make it myself and SCS kits cost only $8 or so, plus $13 for a Valk3 it's less than half the price.

I completed my stickerless collection of "cubic" mains. Just got my new WuJi out of the box, mixed it for a while and solved it once. Instant main over my stickered Aofu GT. I also dropped my 7x7 PB single by 1min 30seconds without having solved a 7x7 for maybe 2-3 months It's clear that 5x5 and 6x6 practice helps improve 7x7. I'm still over 10min anyway so, a lot of room for improvement.

It's curious that, of all the WuXXX cubes I bought all of them became new mains except for the 6x6. Here I like the smaller Yuxin Red better than the WuHua. I think the only "main contender" cubic puzzle that QiYi is missing right now is a 2x2.

 

[phreaker]

Do you know that with all this discussion about magnets you're sparking the urge of getting a magnetic 3x3 in me?
I know that sooner or later I'll buy or make one. Do you think it's easy enough to make it? I wouldn't want to pay $50 for one if I can easily make it myself and SCS kits cost only $8 or so, plus $13 for a Valk3 it's less than half the price.

If you do it with blu tack... It is easy, because if you make a mistake... you just undo it. Trust me, I made a good few on my Valk and it was my second magnetic cube, attempt. The first, is truly horrible. The second... is quite good.

For the magnets, ebay works too . I got mine from ebay. I should look at a cube order at some point... but I think I want an excuse like a 1st BLD success or something.

I completed my stickerless collection of "cubic" mains. Just got my new WuJi out of the box, mixed it for a while and solved it once. Instant main over my stickered Aofu GT. I also dropped my 7x7 PB single by 1min 30seconds without having solved a 7x7 for maybe 2-3 months It's clear that 5x5 and 6x6 practice helps improve 7x7. I'm still over 10min anyway so, a lot of room for improvement.

It's curious that, of all the WuXXX cubes I bought all of them became new mains except for the 6x6. Here I like the smaller Yuxin Red better than the WuHua. I think the only "main contender" cubic puzzle that QiYi is missing right now is a 2x2.

Interesting! And cool. I should look at getting a new Wuque... I think mine might be from the defective batch. But even that one is a nice cube. I'd love to try a non-defective one, with maybe some DNM-37 lubing it.

 

[h2f]

Congratulations on that average! All of you keep getting faster while I am stuck at high 18 average. I should go back to practicing 3x3. So many events, so little time.

Thanks I'm more than surprised. I think it's an effect of the break from cubing.

Nice progress in 4x4.

 

[pipkiksass]

2 sets of 4mm x 2mm N35 (4 per edge, 6 per corner).

Did you also do a Valk earlier? I'm second guessing myself about magnet strength, and need to get them ordered - Valk ready, blu tax ready, just holding fire on magnets till I'm happy with strength. May go slightly higher than N35, because I turn really sloppily!!!


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[mafergut]

If you do it with blu tack... [...]
I should look at a cube order at some point... but I think I want an excuse like a 1st BLD success or something.
Interesting! And cool. I should look at getting a new Wuque... I think mine might be from the defective batch. But even that one is a nice cube. I'd love to try a non-defective one, with maybe some DNM-37 lubing it.

Mmmm, you make it look like an easy way to spoil a Valk3. How do you apply the blu tack? I assume around the magnet and not between the magnet and the plastic surface

BLD is something I keep procrastinating but, yeah, the 1st BLD success is always memorable. Keep pushing!

I'm torn apart between DNM-37 and Silk. Maybe I'll get both For now I'm using some Maru I had lying around to loosen up the WuQue a bit. If DNM-37 works equally well and lasts more than 1 day it will be a good investment But, for $9 a bottle I am probably better off buying a new WuQue as mine seems also to be defective. I was almost sure but then I watched @SpeedCubeReview latest video comparison and he says not all the WuQue's with white inner parts are "defective" and not all with coloured inner parts are "good" so I don't know what to think anymore. Mine has white internals and it surely feels like the "defective" ones. Maybe I'll wait and see if Qiyi makes an equally good 60mm "mini" version. Then I would have the perfect excuse to buy it

 

[newtonbase]

Did you try just one? 2xN35... That'd be pretty heavy.

It is quite heavy.

Did you also do a Valk earlier?

I was going to but couldn't work out how to do it with single magnets. If you can't put a magnet in a central position on the side of the piece you'll get some misalignment issues when it is unsolved which bothers me.
Here's the GTS

 

[phreaker]

It is quite heavy.

I was going to but couldn't work out how to do it with single magnets. If you can't put a magnet in a central position on the side of the piece you'll get some misalignment issues when it is unsolved which bothers me.
Here's the GTS View attachment 7450

Actually, magnets need to be placed 90 degree rotational symmetric, they don't need to be symmetric in the piece!

Look at my Valk pictures... you'll see I only put one magnet per "third" in. Thus the magnet is "off-center" when the cube is assembled.

As long as the magnet is in the same spot in each piece... it'll be ok. Try it with some blu-tack and another cube, you'll see what I mean.

Always start with one corner "piece", and one edge "piece", together as if they were on the cube... then make a new edge and a new corner from them.... etc.

For "The Valk" you'll end up with one magnet per "corner slice", and one magnet per "edge slice" for a capped cube, you'll end up with 3 magnets in a corner, and 2 in an edge.

 

[newtonbase]

Actually, magnets need to be placed 90 degree rotational symmetric, they don't need to be symmetric in the piece!

Look at my Valk pictures... you'll see I only put one magnet per "third" in. Thus the magnet is "off-center" when the cube is assembled.

As long as the magnet is in the same spot in each piece... it'll be ok. Try it with some blu-tack and another cube, you'll see what I mean.

Always start with one corner "piece", and one edge "piece", together as if they were on the cube... then make a new edge and a new corner from them.... etc.

For "The Valk" you'll end up with one magnet per "corner slice", and one magnet per "edge slice" for a capped cube, you'll end up with 3 magnets in a corner, and 2 in an edge.

Do you have a link to the pictures?

 

[phreaker]

Do you have a link to the pictures?

http://imgur.com/a/cnJqq

I never did take the shot of the edge 1/3rd + corner half aligned, that is key to assembly. My bad.

I used "DMCuber"'s video to give me advice:

.

The key to actually doing the Valk positioning, is work on the "edge" first. Position the magnet at where the bottom left "peg" meets the base of the edge. The magnet should rest against the left face, the "peg" and the base of the edge.

If you do that, then you can place every edge properly, but I'd recommend only placing one at first, and then trying a corner. The corner should go between the "florian hole" and the slats that hold the edge together The right spot for 5mm magnets, literally felt like it was about the only spot you could put the magnet sanely If you look.. there isn't much space in my case... you'll have more with 4mm magnets. Note the magnet will be against the "bottom" of the piece, because it is against the bottom of the edge.

To check if you have it "right". Play with the "edge" and "corner" pieces, once they are togeher. You'll see that the corner overlaps the edge just a LITTLE bit. You can use that overlap to check that you got the alignment right. You want it all to be nice and flush.

I actually had a little stick I used to move the magnets around if I wasn't happy... and if I got real unhappy, I'd grab a small knife, which would attract the magnet, and clean out the blu tack... then try again.

I had to do that a few times. Each time I remember thinking "That's why I used blu tack!" (Probably on about 5 of the 48 magnets. But if I did it with glue, I would have needed to buy a second Valk... never mind that I wasn't 100% sold on these magnets when I put them in.)

Once the cube is together, each turn should have "one click", you shouldn't feel all 4 magnets separately. My first attempt (A Gans 356v2, that I glued, and made out of two cubes...) feels like that. It is horrible. One click. It should just move, and "stop", like one force is stopping it.

 

[newtonbase]

http://imgur.com/a/cnJqq

I never did take the shot of the edge 1/3rd + corner half aligned, that is key to assembly. My bad.

I used "DMCuber"'s video to give me advice:

.

The key to actually doing the Valk positioning, is work on the "edge" first. Position the magnet at where the bottom left "peg" meets the base of the edge. The magnet should rest against the left face, the "peg" and the base of the edge.

If you do that, then you can place every edge properly, but I'd recommend only placing one at first, and then trying a corner. The corner should go between the "florian hole" and the slats that hold the edge together The right spot for 5mm magnets, literally felt like it was about the only spot you could put the magnet sanely If you look.. there isn't much space in my case... you'll have more with 4mm magnets. Note the magnet will be against the "bottom" of the piece, because it is against the bottom of the edge.

To check if you have it "right". Play with the "edge" and "corner" pieces, once they are togeher. You'll see that the corner overlaps the edge just a LITTLE bit. You can use that overlap to check that you got the alignment right. You want it all to be nice and flush.

I actually had a little stick I used to move the magnets around if I wasn't happy... and if I got real unhappy, I'd grab a small knife, which would attract the magnet, and clean out the blu tack... then try again.

I had to do that a few times. Each time I remember thinking "That's why I used blu tack!" (Probably on about 5 of the 48 magnets. But if I did it with glue, I would have needed to buy a second Valk... never mind that I wasn't 100% sold on these magnets when I put them in.)

Once the cube is together, each turn should have "one click", you shouldn't feel all 4 magnets separately. My first attempt (A Gans 356v2, that I glued, and made out of two cubes...) feels like that. It is horrible. One click. It should just move, and "stop", like one force is stopping it.

One thing I like about glue is that the magnets can align themselves. The downside is that sometimes they jump and align themselves on top of another magnet and I have have to pull them apart before the glue sets. I did lose a few.
Using 2 per face does mean that you have 3 sweet spots (clicks) rather than one. There are 2 outer ones where just one magnet from each piece attracts and then the stronger spot where they both do.
The cube is quite nice for 3BLD, especially M2 but would be nicer with weaker magnets as I feel I have to push a little harder on my OP Y perms.

 

[phreaker]

One thing I like about glue is that the magnets can align themselves. The downside is that sometimes they jump and align themselves on top of another magnet and I have have to pull them apart before the glue sets. I did lose a few.
Using 2 per face does mean that you have 3 sweet spots (clicks) rather than one. There are 2 outer ones where just one magnet from each piece attracts and then the stronger spot where they both do.
The cube is quite nice for 3BLD, especially M2 but would be nicer with weaker magnets as I feel I have to push a little harder on my OP Y perms.

I did my Gans 356v2 like you mention... but I can tell you the magnets drifted over time, and it didn't work as well as one might hope.

If you like the three click effect... go for it. I have an odd feeling it'd drive me crazy. I'd rather use a wider magnet, to make a larger sweet spot, but it all comes down to personal preference on this stuff.

But I do like magnets for BLD.... there's something reassuring about the feel. Magnets are here to stay... But now there's another thing that will affect feel, and the way cubes behave... and we may not be able to adjust them easily. The last thing most people need is ANOTHER thing to get right in cube setup .

 

[pipkiksass]

I'll chime in once more - just ordered N35s, as the store I was looking at on eBay has a choice of N35 or N52, so I'll start with the 35s. Magnets cost £3.17 with free 1st class postage(!?!?!?!), and the Blu-Tac I already have - I bought an extra Valk when I ordered my WuQue last week, so I'll be ready to go on Tuesday, woohoo!

I'm going with Blu-Tac for starters. Not sure, @phreaker, by what you mean about the corner/edge play and overlap, but I was intending to use DMCuber's tutorial anyway, so my plan was to carefully place the magnet at the base of the 'peg' in the edge, then line it up with the corner. Rather than (per DMCuber) leaving it to dry, etc., as this isn't necessary with Blu-Tac, I thought I'd just pair all the corners and edges up, then go for it. I'm sure I'll see what you mean when I get started!

My theory, in response to @mafergut's query about Blu-Tac placement, is that you have to place the magnet first, then basically build a small capsule of Blu-Tac around it, otherwise you have no consistency in magnet strength. @phreaker had the benefit of ring magnets, which means the magnet can be set flush against the plastic, despite Blu-Tac lying underneath, but my magnets are discs, so I'll place the magnet in the edge, pair it up with a corner, mould Blu-Tac over the magnet in the edge (using the corner and magnet to hold everything in place), then repeat with the corner.

Any ideas about whether this might actually work in practice (and, if not, why not) would be appreciated. IMHO it should be a fairly rapid process as a whole. No curing or waiting, just a lot of patience for pairing up magnets, etc..

I'll be sure to document the whole thing, which will hopefully be done on Wednesday.

 

[phreaker]

@pipkiksass You'll see when you have it apart and play with the pieces. There's just some things that have to be felt.

DMCuber's tutorial is the way to go.

I always test pieces against pieces from other pairs...etc... to make sure I'm not making mistakes.

Also I thought the way blu-tack worked... you wanted to maximize the surface area of contact, that's why I chose under. I'll be interested in how yours turns out!

 

[JohnnyReggae]

Mmmm, you make it look like an easy way to spoil a Valk3. How do you apply the blu tack? I assume around the magnet and not between the magnet and the plastic surface

BLD is something I keep procrastinating but, yeah, the 1st BLD success is always memorable. Keep pushing!

I'm torn apart between DNM-37 and Silk. Maybe I'll get both For now I'm using some Maru I had lying around to loosen up the WuQue a bit. If DNM-37 works equally well and lasts more than 1 day it will be a good investment But, for $9 a bottle I am probably better off buying a new WuQue as mine seems also to be defective. I was almost sure but then I watched @SpeedCubeReview latest video comparison and he says not all the WuQue's with white inner parts are "defective" and not all with coloured inner parts are "good" so I don't know what to think anymore. Mine has white internals and it surely feels like the "defective" ones. Maybe I'll wait and see if Qiyi makes an equally good 60mm "mini" version. Then I would have the perfect excuse to buy it

I ordered some DNM-37 almost 2 weeks ago and it still hasn't shipped. Starting to get a little annoyed with the service, or lack thereof from TheCubicle. Tried contacting them but the answer I got was less than adequate. Shipping to South Africa takes at least 2 months and another 2 weeks on top of that is just frustrating, especially when they've already taken my money.

 

[pipkiksass]

I thought the way blu-tack worked... you wanted to maximize the surface area of contact, that's why I chose under. I'll be interested in how yours turns out!

Yup, you're absolutely right, my thought is as little as possible (read: none) actually UNDER the magnet, which is secured by (imagination please) the ring of Blu-Tac around the outside, then the 'dome' of each Blu-Tac capsule acts as the shock absorber.

So, in effect, where you have a ring magnet with Blu-Tac in the centre, I have slightly weaker magnets in the centre, with a ring of Blu-Tac round the outside!!!

Interested to see how it turns out, but if there's very little mess I can always scrap the Blu-Tac and grab some glue if surface area cohesion is inadequate...


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[mafergut]

Very interesting video tutorials by DMCuber, thanks @phreaker. Now it have a much clearer idea of the steps involved in magnetizing a cube but, oh boy, those Valk3 corner prongs do look fragile. Maybe I should start by magnetizing one of those 6 MF3RS I got last week... or just wait until magnetic cubes are mass produced in some months?

Also, continuing with my streak of 4x4 PBs, I got a new PB Ao5 of 1:08.74.

 

[pipkiksass]

OK, so the more I think about it, the less convinced I am that Blu-Tac will work for disc magnets.

I have 12 hours till the only opportunity I'll have in the next week to purchase some Gorilla Glue. Interested to hear others' thoughts - should I go for Blu-Tac or glue. Worst case scenario, I ruin a spare Valk and £3 worth of magnets with some glue, I'm just ever so slightly concerned that Blu-Tac will add a little more weight than would be ideal, and might not provide sufficient stickiness for my N35s without some surface contact (which I think might lead to them being too weak).

Ugh!

@mafergut, nice 4x4 progress. I'm envious - that sub-1 is still eluding me.

 

[pglewis]

I broke out the timer for the first time in ages with the next comp coming up in a month. I haven't been spamming OLLs or hammering on cross like I'd planned, just some slow solves recently after a couple weeks of focus on blind. I set my sights on dropping my Ao12 today, which did happen, but I also unexpectedly nudged my Ao5 ever so closer to :30. Still want to drop that Ao12 an additional second or two, I know I got it in me.