4x4 Speed Cube Broken Piece Fix and Assembly

はじめに

If your 4x4 speed cube (aka cube puzzle, rubik's cube) has a broken piece, doesn't rotate properly or smoothly, and has uneven tensions use this guide to repair the broken piece and reassemble the speed cube. In this guide we are repairing the Julysgift 4x4 cube puzzle.

The central screws in a speed cube controls the tensions between all the pieces. Tightening or loosening this screw allows for smoother rotations when using the speed cube. The central screw is also essential in the reassembly of the speed cube. The looseness of the screw allows pieces to be pulled out or inserted in.

The pieces hook onto the core of the speed cube. With the hook broken, the speed cube will have missing pieces.

This guide documents the repair of the center piece of a 4X4 speed cube as well as the reassembly of the 4x4 speed cube. For the reassembly, this guide goes over the assembly of the edge, center, and corner pieces. There is a slight risk with the use of E6000 industrial strength adhesive due to the vapors the glue can emit. Therefore, ensure that the adhesive is used in a well ventilated area. In addition, users must be careful with the use of the screwdriver due to its sharpness.

Pieces often break when the cube is dropped on a hard surface or if the cube has loose/uneven tensions. Rather than replacing the entire speed cube and creating further waste, the speed cube can instead be repaired and reused.

必要な工具と部品

手順1 4x4 Speed Cube

4x4 Speed Cube Broken Piece Fix and Assembly, 4x4 Speed Cube: 手順 1、 2の画像 1

4x4 Speed Cube Broken Piece Fix and Assembly, 4x4 Speed Cube: 手順 1、 2の画像 2

Using a wooden toothpick, take a dollop of E6000 industrial strength adhesive and apply it to the broken piece.
E6000 contains perchloroethylene which can emit harmful vapors. Only use this adhesive in a well ventilated area.
E6000 is not required for this fix, any strong adhesive will work.

編集

手順2

4x4 Speed Cube Broken Piece Fix and Assembly: 手順 2、 3の画像 3

Press the pieces together while applying light pressure.
Ensure that the pieces are aligned properly. Compare with a similar piece of the speed cube to double check alignment.
Allow the E6000 adhesive to fully cure for 24 to 72 hours.

編集

手順3

Once dry, sand the piece so that it is smooth, ensuring that little to no glue residue is left on the surface.
Now you are ready to reassemble the speed cube!

編集

手順4

4x4 Speed Cube Broken Piece Fix and Assembly: 手順 4、 3の画像 3

Locate the top and side central screws of the inner core.
Loosen the top and side central screws.
Avoid over loosening the screws as it may result in pieces falling out of the core.

編集

手順5

4x4 Speed Cube Broken Piece Fix and Assembly: 手順 5、 3の画像 3

Stack all three edge bracket pieces with the large bracket piece in the middle.
Insert the stacked bracket pieces in to the center of the core.
You may need to exert some force in order to insert this piece.

編集

手順6

4x4 Speed Cube Broken Piece Fix and Assembly: 手順 6、 3の画像 3

Insert the colored center pieces directly into the grooves of the core's central edge bracket
Ensure that the color of the inserted pieces matches the color of the surrounding pieces.

編集

手順7

4x4 Speed Cube Broken Piece Fix and Assembly: 手順 7、 3の画像 3

Insert the corner colored pieces into the grooves on either side of the center colored pieces.
Ensure that the color of the inserted pieces matches the color of the surrounding pieces.

編集

手順8

Insert the colored center pieces into the grooves on top of the core's central edge bracket.
Ensure that the color of the inserted pieces matches the color of the surrounding pieces.

編集

手順9

Insert the colored corner pieces into the grooves on either side of the central colored pieces.
Ensure that the color of the inserted pieces matches the color of the surrounding pieces.
The speed cube should now have 3 rows and 4 columns completed on both sides with missing pieces.

編集

手順10

4x4 Speed Cube Broken Piece Fix and Assembly: 手順 10、 3の画像 3

Insert the corner edge piece into the grooves of the correct corresponding corner.
Ensure that the colors of the inserted piece matches the colors of the 3 sides.
You may need to exert some force to properly insert this piece.
Repeat the above step with the opposing corner.

編集

手順11

4x4 Speed Cube Broken Piece Fix and Assembly: 手順 11、 3の画像 3

Pull the corner piece apart until there is ample room to slide the edge piece in
Carefully insert the corresponding edge piece into the groove of the edge bracket
Repeat the steps for the other edge piece
You may need to exert some force to properly insert these pieces.

編集

手順12

Pull apart both halves of the cube until the screw in the core is visible
Tighten the screw with a screwdriver until the speed cube rotates with the desired smooth motion
Repeat for as many sides as needed

編集

終わりに

Test the speed cube out. If the cube rotates smoothly then you have done the repair correctly! If the cube requires some force to rotate then you may need to loosen the screws of the core.

If more pieces have popped off, the process for reassembly of the pieces back into the speed cube's core is similar to steps 4 to 7 detailed in this guide. However, if more or different pieces of the core fall out or get damaged then the guide may not work as intended.