slateblog

I wasn’t too enamored with summer cube purchases but last night’s 2x4x6 victory was quite a memorable one. I went back to the face-turning octahedron today and tried Super Antonio Vivaldi’s tutorial. I conquered this one in the past but it wasn’t all too fun. Trying this again…I don’t know if it really is. The eight-faced beast challenges my brain…I guess that’s a good thing. Anyways, algorithms that I keep forgetting…

Years later I’m updating this section to be a bit more clear. I’ve gotten a bit better at things by now (February 2022, to be specific) so let’s hope it’s even easier in the future!!!

Step 1: Get 3 corners
This is intuitive. Get all the corners on one color’s face set up properly. Don’t worry about anything else.

Step 2: Solve remaining corners
Place your first face downwards and scope out the top. You’re going to get the next three corners aligned. We’re going to use the standard algorithm here, but where we begin depends on how things turn.

You should have one corner piece in the proper spot here and aligned properly. (I suppose if you don’t, do this algorithm twice).

Holding the pointy corner towards you, you’ll do the traditional D, D, U, U.

If you start R’, L, R, L’

• Both the front and right corners will swap spots clockwise and they’ll rotate.
• The left corner will slide right but won’t rotate.
• Thus, keep the properly-aligned piece in the left corner and do this algorithm.

If you start L, R’, L’, R

• Both the front and left corners will swap spots counter-clockwise and they’ll rotate.
• The right corner will slide left but won’t rotate.
• Thus, keep the properly-aligned piece in the right corner and do this algorithm.

Step 3: Solve edges
Now we’re going to rotate edge triangles. This 3×3 algorithm is slightly modified and is done with the right and top faces. You’ll hold the puzzle with a tip facing you, but angled downwards so the algorithm can be done using the top layer. (2024 translation: Hold with the V looking at you) This will rotate three edges, either clockwise or counter-clockwise and will require deconstruction/reconstruction to get everything in order. I try to refrain from using two moves-algorithm-undo those two moves b/c my brain isn’t so smart.

Clockwise: R, U, R’, U, R, U, R’, U
Counterclockwise: R’, U’, R, U’, R’, U’, R, U’

Step 3: 3-Cycle centers
This moves the UR center to UL center to LL center (left face, left center)
Use the face with the 1 center and slice down. (a M’, I suppose)
Your LL center should now be in the UR center spot
R down, L down, R up
Move the slice back
R down, L up, R up

Maybe I should just quit cubing entirely. My recent purchases are all giving me a hard time and I feel less and less capable of doing any of this any more! Today, I’ve gotten closer to solving the 2x4x6 cuboid. Closer. I haven’t done it yet. I say this because I purchased it in July. That’s three months ago. It’s stumped me for more than three months.

My woes may soon come to a close, though. I think I might be able finish this. The problem is I never feel like I have time to dedicate to it. I couldn’t even write this post without having a child of mine climb all over me.

However, I hope for success to be in my future. Using Super Antonio Vivaldi’s parity tutorial, I’m working through the last few stragglers. I’ll forego writing about the first steps for now and get into the last parity algorithms.

First, get the orange & red touching white & yellow edge pieces. Then get the middle-center edge pieces (for me, green & blue touching white & yellow). You may encounter parity here. Then get the outer center edge pieces using the same algorithms.

The inner centers are next. Inner 2×2 blocks are done just like doing the last centers on a higher-order standard cube. Line up the centers, down, right, down, left, up, right, up, left. Hope that still makes sense. Outer centers are last and can use the same parity algorithms, though that’s where I’m stuck as I write this. Here’s what you need to know.

Even Layered Parity (4 edge pieces swap)(Same as 3x4x5)
2U 2R 2F 2U 2u 2F 2R 2U

Brick Parity (3 edge pieces swap)(Right side)
2F U 2R U’ 2L U 2R U’ 2L
2F 2r 2F
2L U 2R U’ 2L U 2R U’
2F 2r

Brick Parity (Left Side)
2F U’ 2L U 2R U’ 2L U 2R
2F 2l 2F
2R U’ 2L U 2R U’ 2L U
2F 2l

This works for inner or outer centers. Here’s how these pieces move.

The left side brick parity would rotate 1 to 2, 2 to 3, 3 to 1 and our view of the back layer would be (as you flip & look at it):
3 – – –
– – – 1

The front layer would be
2 – – –
– – – –

Right would be opposite. Dunno if this helps.

Floppy Parity (2 Edges – Front-Left piece + Down-Back-left piece)
2R 2B 2U L 2U R’ 2U R 2U 2F R 2F L’ 2B 2R
(Then do 2l and Red Bull 2x more)

Edit: Solved It!!! Three months of frustration! Now…to put it on the shelf proper or to scramble again? Hmmm. :)

I’ve received my new cubes and one of them is a strange one. The MoYu Crazy Yileng Fisher Cube (long title!) is a cool 3×3 shape mod but it requires the flipping of centers. Since I generally dislike picture cubes, I never bothered to know these.

In working on this puzzle, I need to remember these. One isn’t bad. The other may take me a bit. Therefore: Algorithms! This is just for my future reference. Which I’ll need.

180º (place on top)
R U R’ U (x5) or
(R U R’ U’) (R’ F) (R2 U’) (R’ U’ R U) (R’ F’)

90º (place on top & right)
[(R U’ R U) (R U) (R U’) (R’ U’ R2)] X 3

I think I like this puzzle. The standard 3x3x2 is just a quick solve, not one I dedicate much time or effort to. However this is a different take on things and perhaps I’ll extend my collection into the bigger crazy cubes. I’d like a basic Crazy 3x3x3. In any event, for now, I wanted to write up some notes. Here is my solve method and my latch piece is red/green/yellow. That’ll lock the center circle in place.

1. Solve inner cross
2. Solve inner corners (on Right) (R2/U2/R2/U2)
3. Find ‘latch’ corner – keep on bottom (left)
4. Solve bottom outer edges (keep latch out of the way)
5. Solve bottom corners (use a dummy piece)
6. Adjacent corner swap (latch on back-left)(headlights in front)
   • Turn 180 degrees and move headlights to the right side)
   • Reverse (2L/U’/2L/U/2L – rotate clockwise – 2L/U/2L/U’/2L)
7. Last-layer edge swaps (keep latch out of the way)

I got this one a few months back and was entirely stumped. It’s only the second cube to leave me without a solution completely. (The other is WitEden’s Camouflage 3x3x4 – and I think I broke that one!) Anyways, thanks to MartyWolfman’s marvelous tutorial; I can now solve it! I love cubing but I’m not the most brilliant at coming up with my own algorithms and solutions. For this one, he used a lot of beginner’s method algorithms: something I’d forgotten entirely! For purposes of going back to this puzzle, here are some algorithms and methods of solving. I might need this entry someday!

Inserting Middle Layer

Right + Back
R / U / R / U / R / U’ / R’ / U’ / R’

Right + Front
R’ / U’ / R’ / U’ / R’ / U / R / U / R

Last-Layer Situations

• If Dot (Algorithm 2x)
• If L (Place L in F & R)
• If Bar (Place on L & R)

Turn top 2 layers to the R face = Y
Y’ / R / Y / R / U / R’ / U’ / Y’ / R’ / Y

Then fix BR bottom corner
R’ / U2 / R (to orient)
R’ / U’ / R

Then re-fix middle layer

Orient Last Layer

One top piece last layer facing you on left
R / U / R’ / U / R / U2 / R’

Put proper piece on BR
R / U2 / R’ / U’ / R / U’ / R’

Final Layer Edge-Piece 3-Cycle (correct piece in back)
R / U’ / R / U / R / U / R / U’ / R’ / U’/ R2

I hate this algorithm and I always forget it. Having just purchased a 4x4x6 cuboid, I found the first time I got close to solving it, I ran into this familiar parity. So…for the purposes of ease (i.e. I can look it up on my site whenever!) here’s the algorithm!!!

r2, B2, U2, l, U2, r’, U2, r, U2, F2, r, F2, l’, B2, r2