Hey guys. Didn't see an introductions section but wanted to say hi, and I guess a background on how I got here.
30 years old, married, work in IT and live in Nashville. Do some volunteer admin work on various mobile phone sites and own the long-overdue-for-an-update site superstickphase.com
A little over a week ago my friend's daughter was playing with a cube and I thought to myself, "Self, let's learn that thing". So on Wednesday I bought one, and watched Rob's videos a couple times, wrote some stuff down, and did my first solve without looking at notes on Friday.
Next thing I know I'm timing myself and doing it over and over. Then Saturday I taught my wife, and we take turns timing each other. I'm also now trying to teach my neighbor's daughter (and consequently my neighbor). She's still practicing the first layer cross.
I'm slow, but new and using a beginners method. My current record with getting to skip a step or more because it just sorta falls into place is 1:50, with having to do each step at least once 2:15, and one-handed 9:31. I wanna get under a minute next.
Last night I took my cube apart and gave it a light coating of jig-a-loo and its moving much better now (which is why I was even able to do one handed). My cube came very stiff. (My neighbors was very very loose, both store bought rubik's). I haven't got a chance to test a new two handed time on it since lubing thanks to me cutting my thumb yesterday. It's takin' a very sad toll on my cubing.
So anyway. I guess now I need to practice using finger tricks or flips or whatever ya call it and get comfortable with that before trying to learn new methods. Right now I'm doing the 'ol trusty grab-n-turn. Or, do you think I should go on and learn a more intermediate method before bothering with the finger-flips? Eh, it probably doesn't matter.
Also, the laminate over the stickers started peeling off the other day, too. Does that mean the stickers themselves are going to start peeling real soon? I'm actually debating getting a second cube. This one gets A LOT of use. I can't put the thing down. I've probably solved it 100 times. I just solve, scamble and start over. Looks like it's been around for years with all the laminate rolling up. I guess I could try to use a razor to trim the rolls off.
Well, sorry for the long rambling intro post. I guess if you have any thoughts on the finger tricks or stickers' laminate peeling feel free to give me your insight, I'm new and open to any advice! This is my first time reaching out to actually talk to another cuber rather than just lookin' around online. But, no need if you don't feel like chiming in - I will indeed find my way around the site and see what is already there. I mostly just wanted to say hi but the questions just naturally come out.
p.s. Oh and one more thing, and this is probably a silly question but, when I watch videos it looks like everyone inspects before starting the timer. But we mix it for each other and start the timer as we hand it to the other person, killing a few seconds of our times while inspecting. Are we going against industry standard?
-Phases
30 years old, married, work in IT and live in Nashville. Do some volunteer admin work on various mobile phone sites and own the long-overdue-for-an-update site superstickphase.com
A little over a week ago my friend's daughter was playing with a cube and I thought to myself, "Self, let's learn that thing". So on Wednesday I bought one, and watched Rob's videos a couple times, wrote some stuff down, and did my first solve without looking at notes on Friday.
Next thing I know I'm timing myself and doing it over and over. Then Saturday I taught my wife, and we take turns timing each other. I'm also now trying to teach my neighbor's daughter (and consequently my neighbor). She's still practicing the first layer cross.
I'm slow, but new and using a beginners method. My current record with getting to skip a step or more because it just sorta falls into place is 1:50, with having to do each step at least once 2:15, and one-handed 9:31. I wanna get under a minute next.
Last night I took my cube apart and gave it a light coating of jig-a-loo and its moving much better now (which is why I was even able to do one handed). My cube came very stiff. (My neighbors was very very loose, both store bought rubik's). I haven't got a chance to test a new two handed time on it since lubing thanks to me cutting my thumb yesterday. It's takin' a very sad toll on my cubing.
So anyway. I guess now I need to practice using finger tricks or flips or whatever ya call it and get comfortable with that before trying to learn new methods. Right now I'm doing the 'ol trusty grab-n-turn. Or, do you think I should go on and learn a more intermediate method before bothering with the finger-flips? Eh, it probably doesn't matter.
Also, the laminate over the stickers started peeling off the other day, too. Does that mean the stickers themselves are going to start peeling real soon? I'm actually debating getting a second cube. This one gets A LOT of use. I can't put the thing down. I've probably solved it 100 times. I just solve, scamble and start over. Looks like it's been around for years with all the laminate rolling up. I guess I could try to use a razor to trim the rolls off.
Well, sorry for the long rambling intro post. I guess if you have any thoughts on the finger tricks or stickers' laminate peeling feel free to give me your insight, I'm new and open to any advice! This is my first time reaching out to actually talk to another cuber rather than just lookin' around online. But, no need if you don't feel like chiming in - I will indeed find my way around the site and see what is already there. I mostly just wanted to say hi but the questions just naturally come out.
p.s. Oh and one more thing, and this is probably a silly question but, when I watch videos it looks like everyone inspects before starting the timer. But we mix it for each other and start the timer as we hand it to the other person, killing a few seconds of our times while inspecting. Are we going against industry standard?
-Phases
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