Archive for the Cubing Category

6×6 Pyraminx Algorithms

Posted in Algorithms, Blog, Cubing on December 29, 2025 by slateman

I quite enjoyed the 5×5 Pyraminx so I thought the 6×6 might be fun. I wasn’t prepared for it to be such a different, unique solve. I’m going to try to break down how I did it, having bastardized some other suggestions. Still WIP.

Step One: Solve Centers

This can be a bit of a challenge for me. Getting two centers is fine, it’s those last two. Important to note: Make sure centers are proper. My first solve had swapped centers, so I couldn’t solve without breaking it all.

If you get one center edge swapped, here’s what you do. In this image it’s yellow and green. In this position, you could just bring the top yellow down to the green, but you don’t want to do that just yet. Move the front face with the yellow center clockwise or ccw so the wayward green piece is out of the way. We’re going to do a pair of D/D/U/U algs. In this pic, the yellow on the top face is on the left side, you’ll start on the left. Do a D/D/U/U moving the yellow down to a dummy/properly-placed front-faced yellow piece. Then move the front face back so the incorrect green piece is on the top (where it’s shown in the pic). Do the D/D/U/U again, but now start on the right. This will reverse the swap and you’re golden!

Step Two: Get Three Edges

For this, you’ll be matching these three red/yellow edges here.

Find your piece, position it on the right or left and bring three layers down to put it adjacent to the center edge. Next, move your entire top layer away from the tip you just turned. If you’re matching on the right, then move top layer left and out of the way (and vice versa). This is like a 4×4 edge-match, where you’ll replace it with another mismatched edge. You’ll eventually have to figure out what to do if you have only two edges left, but that’s for a different day. Keep matching these until you get them all sorted out. You could always do two at once, if you’re smart. 2025 me? Not so great. Oh, here’s a link to a video if you need.

Step Three: Get Inner Edges

There are four green/blue pieces shown in the pic above, but we’re talking about the inner pair. The outer pair can be matched by turning the tips after this step. Easy.

For the inner pair, this is a simple D/D/U/U algorithm, as these are not deeper cuts. Just do it properly to retain the center tips. It’s pretty simple.

Step Four: Final Edges

This is going to be the outer green/blue pieces shown above. This is just a wide D/D/U/U matching. Same as before.

Step Five: Pyraminx Time

Though this is reduced to a Jing’s Pyraminx, it’s just really regular Pyraminx algs. If you need to swap four centers, give it a D/D/U/U cycle three times.

If you have parity, I struggle here. For this section, use Super Antonio Vivaldi’s guide, linked by timestamp.

Hanoiminx / 3-Layer Magic Drum Algorithms

Posted in Algorithms, Blog, Cubing on December 16, 2025 by slateman

This is a relatively-simple and rather-fun puzzle that really only requires two steps and a little bit of intuition. Let’s look!

Step 1: Solve Small Edges

If two are flipped (correctly placed, but flipped)

  • Place on top layer, on L and R.
  • Small triangle facing you.
  • R’, L, R, L’
  • U, L’, U’, L

Link with timestamp

Step 2: Solve Triangle Edges

Mostly intuitive


Step 3: Solve corners

Three-cycle

You can do this starting on the right like this photo or on the left. Just a mirror algorithm. For this one:

  • R’, L, R, L’
  • (this positions the green layer piece on yellow)
  • Move the yellow triangle to the next spot (clockwise here)
  • L, R’, L’, R

5-Layer Pyraminx Algorithms

Posted in Algorithms, Best / Worst, Blog, Cubing on October 27, 2025 by slateman

5-Layer Pentahedron Guide

Posted in Algorithms, Blog, Cubing on June 22, 2025 by slateman

5-Layer Magic Drum Guide

Posted in Algorithms, Blog, Cubing on June 19, 2025 by slateman

Just images for now until I can figure it all out. This puzzle has perplexed me!

7 Axis Puzzle Algorithms

Posted in Algorithms, Blog, Cubing on June 13, 2025 by slateman

This puzzle is a simple, light, addition to my collection. Sengso is putting out a lot of these lately and I’m quite enjoying them. While the first steps of this solve are simple (it just requires 3x3x2 algorithms), the last layer needs some more finesse. So, here’s what you need to know to solve the 7 Axis, pentagonal-shaped puzzle.

Step 1: Solve first-two layers

  • This works just like a 3x3x2. Get the center layer completed intuitively.
  • Then match bottom-layer edges
  • Then position bottom-layer corners (R2, U, R2, U’, R2)

Step 2: Solve Last-Layer Edges (Three-Cycle)
With a flat side facing you, this swaps the L, R and BL edges. This retains the F and BR edges.

Clockwise:

  • R2, U’2, R2, U’, R2, U’2, R2

Counter-Clockwise:

  • R2, U2, R2, U, R2, U2, R2

If you have adjacent edges correct, place one of those in the BR position. This ensures you’ll have one correctly-placed piece and means you’ll be doing this algorithm twice. Figure out which piece needs to move so that the second time you do this, it’ll solve all edges.

Step 3: Solve Last-Layer Corners

This is also a three-cycle. There are two different forms, however:

Case 1: FL, FR, B corners (Triangle)
Clockwise:
* BR, R, L, U, L, U’
* R, U, L, U’, L, BR

Counter-Clockwise:
* BL, L, R, U’, R, U
* L, U’, R, U, R, BL

Case 2: FL, FR and BL corners (B & BR safe)
Clockwise:

  • F, L, R, D, R, D’, L, D, R, D’, R, F

Counter-Clockwise:

  • F, R, D, R, D’, L, D, R, D’, R, L, F

New 5×5 and 7×7 Records

Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Cubing, Cubing Records on May 18, 2025 by slateman

After adding a Gan 562 M to my collection, I also nabbed an Aofu WRM M 7×7 used alongside several other high-quality puzzles. I knew my 5×5 record was in reach but my times were really nothing particularly good. The expensive Gan cube just wasn’t giving me the edge I needed. So, with my wife out of town and my shoulder slowly recovering from surgery, I did a few 7×7 solves. My first one was 16:16.92 – literally one second slower than my record! After a few botched efforts with edge pairing going repeatedly awry, I busted out a 14:21 – breaking my record by two full minutes!

So, naturally, the question was: could I break two records in one day? The 5×5 record has stood for three-and-a-half years after all and a sub-four-minute time always seemed out of reach. Well, after a record-setting 4:03.70, I shattered the record with a 3:48.81! Sub-four and two records in one day. These new puzzles are just unreal compared to what things were like when I started. I’m quite satisfied with both and while that 7×7 could probably get better, I’m never in a rush on puzzles that take so long. Now to edit and update my cubing-records page!

Gan 562 M UV: A Premium 5×5

Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Cubing, Cubing Records on May 1, 2025 by slateman

My history with cubing nears its 15th anniversary and that time has been spent on both the speedcubing side and the collecting side of the hobby. While most of my best times are likely behind me, I’ve also reached a point in my life where I don’t need to make quibbles over an extra few dollars per puzzle. In recent years, I’ve replaced many of my older collection with higher-quality puzzles, matching the hobby’s current state in the mid-2020s. Some of those additions have helped me break records, others just made the process of solving that much more fun. My Gan 356M got my times lower, but my Gan Megaminx didn’t break any new records. Nor did my now Moyu Aosu V7 4×4. A great puzzle, sure, but my times may have hit their peak in brevity, residing forever in yesteryear.

Today’s new purchase was the 562 M – and like the Aosu, I opted for the UV coating. This puzzle has a premium feel and is the most-impressive higher-order puzzle I own. While the Aosu feels like a half notch between quality and budget, the 562 looks and feels like my hard-earned dollars were spent wisely. My first timed solve was 4:19, just seven seconds off my record. And, I’m wearing a sling after shoulder surgery three days ago.

I feel confident this puzzle will help me break my record and perhaps the ever-elusize sub-four-minute solve may even be in sight. Regardless of time accomplishments, it’s safe to say I will never go back to any of my prior 5x5s: not my original YJ Mini, nor my original ShengShou or even the SS magnetic stickerless from a few years ago. All retired for this new one. And I’m sold: you get what you pay for and OMG, this Gan 562 is one of the best puzzles in my entire collection.

Maple Leaf Skewb Tutorial

Posted in Algorithms, Blog, Cubing on January 5, 2025 by slateman

This puzzle is a mostly-straightforward solve, but I got quite stuck at one certain point. It is similar to the Polaris Cube or Skewb Mixup in that you can’t do much without performing half-turns. That plus the fact that it’s a Skewb made the Skewb Mixup one of my lesser-liked puzzles, but this one is a bit more challenging. Here’s how I solved it, addressing the concern when we get to it.

Step One
For me, I got each center individually, but that became an issue with the final two centers. So, next time, I may instead just get the four triangles of each center. This would leave the petals to solve later. Remember, you can always see which side is which due to the colored plastic underneath.

Step Two
Solve those petals. In this case, there’s an algorithm which will do a three-cycle. This maneuver will move the red petal –> green petal –> white petal – so a counter-clockwise of those positioned petals.

  • Move white up adjacent green
  • Swap and return centers
  • Move red down adjacent green
  • Swap and return centers
  • Repeat the same steps again (R/R’/L/L’ (x2))

Of course, this can be done in reverse (L/L’/R/R’ (x2)) to do a counter clockwise swap.

As you get to the very end, you may need commutators to move things around.

Step Three
Solve a Skewb. Have you forgotten how?

  • Solve the white face intuitively
  • Get yellow top corners
  • Try to get headlights on yellow top
  • If so, put them on right and do this:
  • If not, do this once to get headlights and then do this:
  • R’/L/R/L’ (usual down/up/down/up)
  • Then aim to move opposite colors with the same algorithm but…
  • R’/L/R/L’ – then turn 180° and repeat

Shengshou Pentahedron Guide

Posted in Algorithms, Blog, Cubing on June 9, 2024 by slateman

EDIT: I had a far-too-complex solution here, but it turns out that for the two and three-layered versions, things are quite simple. I solved the four-layered and haven’t tried the five yet. For now, a quick refresher – which works just like a 3x3x2. (Tutorial help if you need it) Also, here’s the link to the Four-layered tutorial

  1. Get White corners
  2. Insert centers (3x3x3 alg: R, U, R, U’, R)
  3. Swap centers or corners
    • R, U, R, U’, R (rotate cube CCW), R, U’, R, U, R
  4. Depending on what you start with (corner or edge), it’ll cycle accordingly.