Pyraminx Crystal

[Stefan]

I got my Pyraminx Crystal and solved it a few dozen times. So far best single 4:18.16 and best average 4:57.58. I like it a lot, except it locks up all the time. The problem seems to be the sharp tips of the corner pieces, so I'm thinking about cutting them shorter. But I'm afraid they're like this for a reason and shortening them would make the puzzle unstable or so. Did anyone try this already or have other thoughts about getting rid of the lockups?

 

[pjk]

I was actually thinking of doing the same. Perhaps one of us should take it apart to see what effect cutting the edge tips would have. Does anyone have any ideas on taking it apart?

 

[Stefan]

It has screws.

 

[MistArts]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=xx1qQDVtN10

Take it part like that.

 

[pjk]

Edit: Thanks for the video.

Stefan, let us know if you decide to do it and how it works out. I just lubed mine and will try messing with the screws tonight to see how it works.

 

[RobinBloehm]

I loosened the screws of mine, but the lockups got worse, of course. If you accidentally pull an edge instead of a corner as you have to, it will pop out or cause a horrible lockup. But 'cause it is loose now, you can easily pull the corners for simple triggers. I'll stick with that for a while, we will see.
By the way, I never timed a solve, very good idea

 

[Stefan]

Haven't done it yet, don't want to risk making it worse. But hopefully tomorrow. In the meantime I improved my records, now 3:57.40 single and 4:16.71 average.

 

[pjk]

I adjusted mine a bit after taking it apart. I trimmed a bit a 1 corner. I think if instead of shorting the length of the corner you cut the sides in at an angle, it would avoid making the corner tips stick to each other (lockup). I shaved a couple of the sides of my corners and it made a big difference in those areas. Try identifying the corners that are locking up most, and trim them.

I took some pics of me taking it apart here.

 

[masterofthebass]

i loosened a couple of my screws earlier, and it made hte puzzle really nice. It seems that i loosened a bit too much, and I've gotten some pops recently. As I'm typing this, my crystal is in pieces, so that I'm able to adjust the core. Before this, I didn't really have any problems with lockups, it was mainly just a tightness that I didn't really enjoy.

 

[mrCage]

Haven't done it yet, don't want to risk making it worse. But hopefully tomorrow. In the meantime I improved my records, now 3:57.40 single and 4:16.71 average.

Hi Stefan

Congrats on awesome times. I can solve it about same speed until 7-8 edges remain. Then i struggle with setup moves for my edge 3-cycles (i do corners first as you have guessed already).

And btw. Do you (or others) have any elegant way to rotate only 2 corners?? Not like 2 corner 3-cycles in a sequence ... Yes i'm thinking a simple commutator or similar ...

Mach spass ...

- Per

 

[Stefan]

I usually need a little over 3 minutes to solve everything but the ten edges in the last layer. Then I solve one edge at a time with about 7 moves on average, which takes a bit more than a minute. With yet another pochmann braindead method, of course.

The corner orientation, does it have to be pure, i.e., affect no pieces except those two corners? I have no solution for that at all, let alone an elegant one. But I'd like one.

Do you have good pure corner-3cycles?

 

[mrCage]

I usually need a little over 3 minutes to solve everything but the ten edges in the last layer. Then I solve one edge at a time with about 7 moves on average, which takes a bit more than a minute. With yet another pochmann braindead method, of course.

The corner orientation, does it have to be pure, i.e., affect no pieces except those two corners? I have no solution for that at all, let alone an elegant one. But I'd like one.

Do you have good pure corner-3cycles?

Haha, i have pure corner 3-cycle but it's rather long. Isolating a single corner is not a trivial task actually - as you know of course.

Btw i have pure 16 turn edge 2-flip.

More later.

- Per

 

[Swordsman Kirby]

I usually need a little over 3 minutes to solve everything but the ten edges in the last layer. Then I solve one edge at a time with about 7 moves on average, which takes a bit more than a minute. With yet another pochmann braindead method, of course.

The corner orientation, does it have to be pure, i.e., affect no pieces except those two corners? I have no solution for that at all, let alone an elegant one. But I'd like one.

Do you have good pure corner-3cycles?

Haha, i have pure corner 3-cycle but it's rather long. Isolating a single corner is not a trivial task actually - as you know of course.

Btw i have pure 16 turn edge 2-flip.

More later.

- Per

Us on #rubik use a 14 turn edge 2-flip discovered by joey.

 

[Stefan]

Searched for a corner-orienter last night, so my current status is:

2-edges flip: 8 moves
corner-3cycle: 14 moves
2-corners rotation: 20 moves

All pure, of course.

 

[mrCage]

2-edges flip: 8 moves
2-corners rotation: 20 moves
corner-3cycle: 14 moves

Care to share?? I bet the edge 2-flip is not pure, right?? The others seem feasible I bet the 8-mover is a commutator with corner side effect, much like R' U F' - U - F U' R - U' on the (3x3x3) cube.

- Per

 

[Stefan]

Wrong, they're all pure. I don't want to describe them as text, but maybe I'll make a video tonight and also show my solving method.

 

[joey]

8 move seems crazy, I cannot imagine how that would work.

 

[Stefan]

Hint: It's simple.

 

[joey]

Hint: It's simple.

Haha, I saw this post before it was edited. Not that it shed much light on the situation!
edit:
what about pure 3-cycle edges?

 

[masterofthebass]

i have a pur 3 cycle edges, but it's pretty long 19 moves to be exact.

--EDIT---
4 move pure edge cycle... i'm an idiot.