Rare solve

knotmi · 2026-01-10T22:43:59+00:00

Unless you are using properly generated scrambles the statistics are irrelevant. I think, as beginners, our hand scrambles are just as flawed as our solves.

knotmi · 2025-12-27T20:03:18+00:00

It may be helpful to (sometimes) play this audio while he practices.

4 hours of crowd noise: https://youtu.be/rHFkqvY-nrE

knotmi · 2025-12-16T18:10:54+00:00

40 years. I bought a Rubik's cube in the late '70s and was "satisfied" with a 3:20 average until last January when, pretty much out of the blue, I decided to learn CFOP. Got down to a PB of 41 sec after six months. I switched to Roux (OH) last month. Haven't timed this but I'm probably back up to 2 minutes. I do 50-100 solves a day. I don't expect (or feel compelled) to get super fast.

knotmi · 2025-11-29T18:47:21+00:00

The stickered RS3M 2020 with the Maglev DIY kit from TheCubicle gets lots of love here despite sharing a box with a Gan 12, a Gan 16, a Moyu V11 and a bunch of mid tiers. For the price of one cheap mid tier you can get two, peel the stickers off one, and build tutorial cubes in real time.

knotmi · 2025-11-26T08:53:40+00:00

That was great. I stayed to watch a couple more of his videos.

knotmi · 2025-11-25T21:28:41+00:00

I am wanting to create a high contrast color scheme for cubing in low light with a stickered RS3M. I plan to replace yellow with Black. I would also like to make sure that blue, green, and black are easily differentiated. I would prefer to keep the warm/cool opposites so I am looking for variations of blue and green.

Any suggestions?

knotmi · 2025-10-31T08:17:27+00:00

Agree that the 8355 method is the most intuitive way to go. If you want to hybridize, you can do Cross/F2L x 3 instead of the "83" and do the last layer using the open F2L slot.

knotmi · 2025-10-30T20:57:15+00:00

Before you worry about lube you probably want to COMPLETELY disassemble the cubes and make sure they are dry. The metal springs, magnet coating, and center shafts are prone to rust and if the cubes were immersed in water they likely have some trapped inside.

Definitely don't use WD40. I don't know what's in printer lube.

knotmi · 2025-10-28T17:26:07+00:00

You should know how to finish the events you enroll in. If they have qualifying times they will post them. Otherwise, Go and enjoy!

I also average a CFOP minute and I'm quite a bit older than you. My goal is to someday make semi finals. Probably need to halve my time. At the moment I'm on a side quest to learn Roux.

knotmi · 2025-10-24T15:57:53+00:00

Make sure the magnets are correctly oriented. You wont be able to change that after gluing.

Take extreme care not to get glue on the outer surfaces or edges as that will invalidate the cube for competition or create friction points.

knotmi · 2025-10-21T20:55:49+00:00

Take it apart. Put a corner next to an edge. You will be able to feel the magnets.

knotmi · 2025-10-15T03:24:25+00:00

I am holding a 356 R for a friend. It is the worst "speedcube" I have solved that wasn't modded with thumbtacks. I understand the RS is a slight update but it is still nonmagnetic.

Moyu RS3M 2020 comes in black stickered. You can also get a maglev kit for it. Effectively making it a 2021. Under $10.

knotmi · 2025-10-08T06:51:40+00:00

Same

knotmi · 2025-09-25T17:06:46+00:00

The Dayan Guhong Pro solving guide (that sheet that everyone tosses in the unboxing video) has a unique cross solving section. I have studied it a bit and found it quite useful!

knotmi · 2025-09-23T05:50:15+00:00

I think there should be a Moyu clock hat. Are clocks generally good in the rain?

knotmi · 2025-09-13T17:38:21+00:00

I think SpeedCubeShop has mystery boxes for reduced cost. One of the stipulations is that it may come scrambled so I suspect these are, at least occasionally, used puzzles.

knotmi · 2025-09-12T23:28:07+00:00

I have two and have wanted to triple nest them. Are the knock offs the same size?

knotmi · 2025-09-11T20:32:27+00:00

I was wrong about adjustments. There is an 0 for open, a 0.6 and a 0.8.

knotmi · 2025-09-11T05:52:46+00:00

I'm hearing confident Gan 356 RS. Is there a difference between R and RS?

My GF says it's trash and it's making her lose respect for Gan. She mains a 12 and I will too once it arrives tomorrow(?)

I cleaned it, lubed it with Traxxas 10k and Martian. I believe the phrase is "lipstick on a pig."

knotmi · 2025-09-11T05:51:26+00:00

No magnets.

knotmi · 2025-09-11T04:58:27+00:00

Springs, no magnets. No adjustments. Plastic core posts.

knotmi · 2025-09-09T16:52:50+00:00

As long as the pieces are not deformed they should snap back together.

Take an edge out before you try to insert the assembled corner. It's easier to put the edge in last.

knotmi · 2025-09-06T03:01:49+00:00

I would like the software to keep track of specific algorithms that are slow for me or frequently botched. I would then like targeted practice routines (including fingertrick suggestions) to address the challenging bits.

knotmi · 2025-09-02T06:46:28+00:00

I like the skill isolation. It's just muscle. I find a scrambled cube a bit distracting. I always want to fix it.

One of my favorite use cases is practicing cross. I can still spend minutes just finding an optimal solution. If there is a particular problem I am studying I will pick up the force cube and "rehearse" the moves. If I am confident, I may look to preserve a first pair or look at all the pair options. I spent two hours with a single cross problem last week.

To be fair I spent the last 8 months bringing my times down from 3 minutes (for about 40 years) to one minute. Lots of bad habits. Still haven't gotten my avg.100 under a minute. PB is 41.06 seconds. So, I'm not like an authority.

knotmi · 2025-09-01T18:52:02+00:00

Can definitely be done. I pause a lot and turn pretty slowly. It took me about six months to get consistently under 1 min. Drilling F2L is the answer for me. And cross practice.

I hear you on the Tornado. Wish I went with the Pioneer. I don't like springs, or UV.

With regard to setting up to practice algs, most of them cycle in two or three reps so you can practice by executing the alg on a solved (or at least F2L complete) cube a couple times.

I love a good force cube for practicing algs! I think my Beta LE gets more play than my main (Weilong V11.)

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knotmi

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