My 2x2x2 Rubik's pocket cube fell to pieces as I was playing with it. The folks at OddzOn, while quite friendly in their reply to my e-mail, admitted that they had no information beyond the solution hints.

Does anyone know how to reassemble this fiendish critter?

The parts include:

1 center hub

6 spindle pieces, three of which rotate on circular pegs, and three of which remain stationary on square pegs

12 connecting "sliders" - small pieces that join pairs of cubies to each other. Two of these have elongated, squared-off sides, and one has an indented side. The rest seem to have symmetrical, curved sides.

8 cubies


Every combination that I have dreamed up winds up shattering as I try to fit the last piece in, or simple doesn't admit an additional piece. I suspect that there must be a trick involved here - perhaps an assemblage that twists in place into the remained of the puzzle.


Please - if ANYONE can help me, post here or e-mail me.

many thanks,

Peter

They don't have any extra info? Bunk! They assemble the damn thing. Anyway...

Hi Peter,

The way it works... locate the sliders that have elongated pieces. These must sit in the area of the spindles that DON'T turn.

What happens, is that the spindles that don't turn and those elongated pieces all hold one cubie fixed, while the other 7 cubies are the ones that do move around the fixed one..

Add the other sliders and place the cubies on them. You'll notice this is easy until you get the last cubie.

At this point, the cubie is the last piece to go on... place two lips over the exposed remaining slider lips. Rotate the face about 45 degrees. Press firmly with some pressure on the face to get the only exposed lip to "slip under" the slider's lip as they are about to pass each other.

Let me know if this explaination is easy enough. I might have to do up some diagrams.