The rhombic dodec from a 2x2x2 project is progressing nicely. However, I have hit a snag that somebody might be able to help me with.

The inside of the puzzle is the current Rubik's Pocket Cube. The central mechanism is a 6-pointed frame with little rotating turrets. The turrets each have 4 little plastic pins. Every time I dismantle the puzzle, one of these pins breaks off. Before I finish the project, I will have to sacrifice a new Pocket Cube to come up with 6 unbroken turrets. If anybody has any tips for dismantling these cubes without breaking the pins, it would surely help.

Second, the insides have little notched tabs that connect each pair of adjacent cubies. Most of the tabs have a semi-circular profile, but 2 of them have a square profile on one side. Another tab is similar to the semicircular ones, but has a little flat place on one side. Does anybody know how these special tabs should be positioned?

There are 3 of those turret pieces that cannot rotate. The three tabs go inbetween them, and hold that corner of the cube rigidly with respect to the centre. One of those tabs is notched only because there is a little strut inside each corner to make it stronger, and this would be in the way if you had three identical unnotched tabs.

When you put the cube together, always start with this rigid corner.

Jaap

That makes perfect sense. Thank you!

How did you figure this out?