New Type A III center caps are stuck

[royzabeast]

I've had the new Type A III for a while now, but I dropped it because it always popped and locked up. But after recently picking it up again, I feel like it could be a good cube if I could just tighten the screws a bit more. Only problem is, center pieces are stuck. You can tell from the picture below that the caps aren't like normal cubes (or at least, my original type A). Instead of being capped over the center, it is inserted inside, with the only way of extracting the cap is by a little ridge on each side. I guess you're supposed to use some kind of tool. Any idea how to pull these out? Has anyone else had this problem?

For future reference, is there actually a correlation between tightness of the cube and lock ups? Does it increase or decrease the rate of them?

 

[ianini]

Mine occasionally get stuck and when they do, I just use a small metal blade to pick them out.

 

[keyboarddrummer]

What I do is disassemble the cube and use a small screwdriver and push from the small slots on the inside of the center pieces.

I think that there is a correlation between tightness and number of lock ups. I know for a fact that if it is too loose it pops and that if it is too tight it won't turn well. I'm not sure about lockups though (I'm assuming you mean when it gets stuck while trying to cut a corner).

 

[Shory]

Take a little pin and shove it there,
or you can use something shaped like:
_____|
------'
(it has to be very slim), disassemble the cube and use it from the vottom of the center piece.

 

[Feryll]

I took it apart and used a toothpick underneath the center caps. Pen caps may also work. Take note that the tension feels different with the edge caps off, so make it a little looser than you'd like when you tension it to avoid having to disassemble and pop the caps off again.

 

[royzabeast]

Thanks guys for pointing out those little holes underneath the centerpieces! I never would have found them. Now time to go through the process of tightening -_-.