Littlewing1208 from Durham

[littlewing1208]

Hello all,

I've been checking out this forum pretty regularly the last few months so I thought I'd do an intro.

I'm a Duke graduate in Mechanical Engineering but I've been working in software (development, QA and sysadmin) the last 6 years (4.5 at IBM and 1.5 at Wireless Generation). While at Wgen, the architect on my team had a Rubiks Cube (true Rubik's with Cubesmith tiles). Last summer (2012), I started playing with it during our scrum meetings and I think at best I solved one face completely but I couldn't ever progress past that point without messing the rest up . Anyway, I found Leyan Lo's beginner method walk through and finally could solve it (my buddy from back home in Charlotte went to Cal Tech with Leyan and was friends with him while in school which I just found out this weekend ). So since October of 2012 I've been cubing. My first speed cube was an Alpha V that I lubed with petroleum based grease ...didn't know better.

Since then I've become pretty obsessed. I think I have 14 3x3x3s ranging from 2-3 Zhanchis (all DIYs except for the Lubix one), a Lubix Fusion Guhong, a few GV2s, a few GV1s, SS Wind, AV, Lingyun, Lunhui. I also have a few megaminxes, a v1 and v2 Wittwo 2x2, a bunch of SS 4x4x4 V4s (I was trying to get a V3 to mod but 3 different places incorrectly listed V3s but they were V4s), an SS 5x5x5, and a few cuboids (Calvin/Tomz 4x4x6, MF8/Tomz 3x4x5, C4U 3x3x5, LanLan 3x3x2) and a skewb. I'm also a big fan of 'tinkering' with them: ie lubricating and modding and tensioning and DIY kits etc.

Solve info:

2x2x2: PB 8:57 and average about 10s
3x3x3: PB 29.99 and average around 40s. I use CFOP with 2LOLL and 1-2LPLL (don't know all the PLLs yet).
4x4x4: PB 3:33 and average around 4min
5x5x5: PB 6:3x and average around 5 min

I don't really time myself much on the 4x4x4 and 5x5x5 so I might be faster now that I know F2L and know a lot more parity algs from playing with cuboids.

I might do competitions if I get better but for the time being, I'm just having fun.

I've recently learned F2L and I've slowed down a good bit since I'm not looking ahead very well and I need to do be able to pair and insert from multiple sides/angles.

Some of my other hobbies/obsessions are racing/working on cars (I autocross my friends S2000 in SCCA STR class and I'm sourcing a BMW E30 to build up for a HPDE/TT car) and cooking/eating .

I'll probably track my progress in this thread if I start getting quicker after this F2L slow down goes away.

 

[TheOneOnTheLeft]

Welcome to the forum! Bet that 29.99 PB felt good, scraping in under 30 seconds, but if you got that before being comfortable with F2L, you'll probably start getting sub-30s pretty frequently soon enough.

 

[SnipeCube]

Dude come to the Unofficial Charlotte Competition! You will meet alot of cubers in the area!!

 

[littlewing1208]

Welcome to the forum! Bet that 29.99 PB felt good, scraping in under 30 seconds, but if you got that before being comfortable with F2L, you'll probably start getting sub-30s pretty frequently soon enough.

The 29.99 was with Cross+first layer corners, 2nd layer edges, and 2LOLL + a edge PLL skip. Since then, my fastest has been 33.385 with F2L and 2LOLL and 2LPLL. I know my problem is lots of pausing during F2L from not looking a head.

Dude come to the Unofficial Charlotte Competition! You will meet alot of cubers in the area!!

Thanks for the invite, I'm instructing at the Tire Rack Street Survival driving school that weekend so I won't be able to make it .

 

[littlewing1208]

So after seeing Kattenvriendin and MarcelP use Prisma Puzzle Timer, I pulled it down and it is really neat. I already have some ideas on extending it so I have the source repo setup already and a build script written .

Anyway, so after modding my Wittwo V1 and getting it back together again and learning Ortega I did a AO12 and pulled this:

4.64/8.29/9.36

which is about 4s faster on PB, A05 and A012


Then I got back to the 3x3x3 and did some really bad times because I was doing Ortega 2x2x2 algs and messed up. Finally got back in the swing of things and knocked 2.5s off my PB and nearly 8s of my A05 and 5s of my previous A012:

Rubik's cube
Apr 8, 2013 8:00:29 PM - 8:32:30 PM

Mean:               36.13
Average:            36.25
Best time:          27.45
Median:             36.92
Worst time:         43.53
Standard deviation:  5.33

Best average of 5: 32.48
  8-12 - 29.17 (38.74) 35.09 33.19 (27.45)

Best average of 12: 36.25
  1-12 - 41.83 32.55 (43.53) 39.11 41.62 41.11 30.11 29.17 38.74 35.09 33.19 (27.45)

 1. 41.83  F2 D' U2 F2 R2 L2 U' B2 R2 D2 B2 L D F2 L D2 U F2 U B D'
 2. 32.55  U2 R2 L2 U B2 L2 F2 L2 U2 R2 D B L2 F' R' B2 D' R' F R U'
 3. 43.53  R2 L2 D F2 D2 F2 R2 U' F' R D' L' D' R L F R L' U2
 4. 39.11  F2 U2 R2 D R2 D L2 U' R2 F2 U2 R F D L' U' B U F' D R
 5. 41.62  B2 R2 B2 L2 D' L2 D' U' B2 L2 D' L D B' L' F' D B' F' L U
 6. 41.11  L2 F2 D2 L2 U' L2 B2 D' L2 B R' U2 L2 B D R L U' F
 7. 30.11  L2 U L2 B2 F2 D' F2 U R2 U R2 F' L2 D B2 L U2 L2 U B R' U'
 8. 29.17  D U2 B2 D2 F2 L2 F2 U B2 F2 D L' U' F2 U2 F' U' B D2 F D
 9. 38.74  B2 L2 B2 R2 U B2 D U2 R2 D' B U F2 D L' B R2 U2 L' B2 L'
10. 35.09  L2 B2 R2 L2 U F2 D U' F2 R2 U R' D' L' U' F' D B2 R F' D
11. 33.19  R2 D' F2 R2 U' L2 D' R2 L2 D' U2 R' F2 D L2 F' D' B U' R' D2 U2
12. 27.45  D B2 L2 B2 R2 D B2 F2 D' B2 U2 F' L' U' B F2 D2 F' D' R F

EDIT:

Has anyone used an HD GoPro for recording solves? I use mine for motorsports recording but I can rig it up probably but there is no view finder but with a 107 deg wide angle lens and 60fps, it might be quite good for solves.

 

[sneaklyfox]

Welcome! I graduated in Mechanical Engineering too though I'm not really doing anything related now.

 

[littlewing1208]

So I finally scored an elusive Shengshou V3 4x4 that is bone stock. Modding begins this weekend. I have a modded v4 that I actually like less than a stock one. I didn't overmod it either. If anything I undermodded it. The v3 is supposed to be a lot better for modding anyway. Timed my self for the few solves on the 4x4 and got a 2.41. I'll probably do an Ao12 to see how it compares to post modification. The v3 locks up really badly in unmodified state.

So on my modded v4, I feel like I'm running out of spring tension so I'm looking at finding some replacement springs to stiffen it up. The shengshou uses those super skinny washers and I can't find them for the life of me so I think it's going to be easier to just find longer or higher spring rate springs. When you remove the 3 tips on the corners there is less pull from the core so you need to tension it a bit tighter but then you bottom out the centers to the core which is not ideal and makes the outer layers turn terribly. I guess shaving off the center stocks would accomplish the same thing but I'm going to try to get a few sizes/spring rates of springs from mcmaster to experiment first.

 

[ducttapecuber]

I know I am a bit late, but welcome to the forums! I am also a NC cuber. I hope to see you at a local meetup or future comp!

 

[uniacto]

So I finally scored an elusive Shengshou V3 4x4 that is bone stock. Modding begins this weekend. I have a modded v4 that I actually like less than a stock one. I didn't overmod it either. If anything I undermodded it. The v3 is supposed to be a lot better for modding anyway. Timed my self for the few solves on the 4x4 and got a 2.41. I'll probably do an Ao12 to see how it compares to post modification. The v3 locks up really badly in unmodified state.

haha nice, congrats on your findings.

 

[jayefbe]

I'm surprised you dislike your modded v4 so much. Do you mind throwing up some pictures of your modded cube and the individual pieces? I just got another SS 4x4 v4 so I can re-do the mod, I think overmodded just a bit on my original one. However, my modded SS is very much better than an unmodded SS v4.

 

[Lchu613]

Did you do Konsta+Florian?

 

[littlewing1208]

Yes, the konsta was the full mod (ie both locations on the small internal pieces. The florian wasn't as much as some people do. Basically with the puzzle assembled, you can only see the heavily rounded edge on the corners, not as much on the edges and centers. I think my issue with it is that it is uncontrollable due to not enough spring tension. I have some springs on their way from mcmaster car that are 0.1" longer (.5" vs 0.396") so maybe I'll get better tension on it once I swap the springs.

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