# [Help Thread] "Breaking in" discussion



## Regisiew (Jan 31, 2009)

okay, when lubricating your cube, i heard your supposed to break it in first. how long should i break it in? its brand new and im waiting for my edison so its just a brand new rubik's brand cube. im impatient so im wondering how long i should spend breaking it in. thanks!


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## Odin (Jan 31, 2009)

Just keep solving it for a day to 1 week.


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## (X) (Jan 31, 2009)

Don't make a new thread for everything you wonder, depends on how well breaked in you want it, you could use minutes, you could use days


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## pcharles93 (Jan 31, 2009)

He could pull a question out of that bit of advice there Odin. Try not to make posts in his threads that call for more questions.

You don't need to break it in at all. With or without lube, it(your cube) will be just as broken in after a certain amount of time.


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## EmersonHerrmann (Jan 31, 2009)

I am sorry but... SEARCH THE FORUM... I don't mean to be one of those people that goes around saying search before you post, but you've done this at least 4 times before, and honestly it's annoying.

anyway, all storeboughts are different...some take longer than others. After they are broken in well and lubed, they work nicely.


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## minsarker (Jan 31, 2009)

Depends on your needs. Some people say break in the cube for 2 weeks then sand the edges then keep breaking in for 1 week then Lube

Others will say just lube. In my opinion, just break it in for about 50 solves then lube it.


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## Jhong253 (Feb 1, 2009)

I have to agree with Emerson here. I don't mean to be offensive, but use search function and look at sticky threads. You can find answer to 99% of what you asked in the forum by doing that.

Just twist every side like crazy for at least couple weeks (just to be safe), force the cube to cut corners. Just keep doing that until your forearms hurt like crazy, then rest up. Repeat until you like your cube.

But whatever you do, try not to lube your cube before breaking it in.


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## scylla (Feb 1, 2009)

Im still wondering, what "breaking in" means....


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## Tetris Cube (Feb 1, 2009)

jhong253 said:


> I have to agree with Emerson here. I don't mean to be offensive, but use search function and look at sticky threads. You can find answer to 99% of what you asked in the forum by doing that.
> 
> Just twist every side like crazy for at least couple weeks (just to be safe), force the cube to cut corners. Just keep doing that until your forearms hurt like crazy, then rest up. Repeat until you like your cube.
> 
> But whatever you do, try not to lube your cube before breaking it in.



I thought I was the only one who forced the cube to cut corners.  I'm not sure it helps, but I did it a lot on an old cube and I think it smoothed out the corner pieces, eventually making it able to cut corners slightly better. It locked up less too. 

I think cubes still "break in" after you lube them, but just after a slower rate.


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## ExoCorsair (Feb 1, 2009)

scylla said:


> Im still wondering, what "breaking in" means....



It's wearing down your cube by simply playing with it. The result is that the "broken in" cube becomes easier to turn, cut corners, and so on.


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## minsarker (Feb 1, 2009)

I am pretty sure once you lube your cube the cube cant be broken in much. The breaking in happens from the pieces sliding against each other and the friction. If it is lubed there is significantly less friction = less breaking in happening


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## Aeonstorm (Apr 19, 2009)

*Breaking in a rubik's brand cube*

I got my rubik's brand cube from Toys r Us about 3 weeks ago, and I lubricated it with silicone spray about a week ago. Anyway, yesterday I decided it wasn't smooth enough for OH cubing, which I was trying to learn, cos my hand couldn't quite turn all the faces, so I disassembled the cube and cleaned out all the excess silicone and black dust. I then put it back together and used Pestvic's method for breaking in the cube, and after about two hours spent grinding and twisting it while watching a movie, it began to turn and cut corners really smoothly. However, it was a bit scratchy and raspy, and the turning texture was a bit uneven (probably cos I grinded all the silicon out), so I relubricated it, but with only 4 edges, instead of 5-8, which most people use. 

This morning, the turning was noticeably slower, but the cube was incredibly loose. Now, it theoretically cuts corners really well, but in practice, I get heaps of lockups because whenever I squeeze the cube a bit too hard on any cubie except for the centers, it misaligns almost by itself. It would be somewhat better if the cube turned really smoothly, but it doesn't, so I have to apply marginally more pressure, which keeps misaligning the cube.

Does this stop after I've had the lubricant in for a while, or do I need to tighten the cube somehow?


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## pentrixter (Apr 19, 2009)

Uh... I take it you're talking about a storebought and not a Rubik's DIY...?

If its a storebought, you won't be able to tighten it. As far as I now, storeboughts can't cut corners very well even if you break them in.

Also, what lube are you using?


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## Aeonstorm (Apr 21, 2009)

It actually does cut corners quite well, except no rubik's cube can cut a corner while performing U' R', for example, and I keep getting this when it misaligns.

I'm using some local generic brand silicone spray I found at the hardware store and it seems pretty good, although it doesn't appear to ever dry fully. If I open the cube, its still wet inside.


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## Unknown.soul (Apr 21, 2009)

Can you give us more details about the silicone spray you used (brand and product name)?


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## ErikJ (Apr 21, 2009)

rubik's store bought cubes are actually retty good once they are broken in. I think anthony benis used to use one.


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## pentrixter (Apr 21, 2009)

Eh... I have really broken in storebought. My Type A is much better and I don't even like Type A's.


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## ThatGuy (Apr 21, 2009)

normal silicone didn't work for me. I had to get the heavy duty kind.


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## Aeonstorm (Apr 28, 2009)

Yeah, I use 'Australian Export' Heavy Duty Silicone Lubricant, made by mmp industrial. I'm starting to get more used to my cube now, after breaking it in again and using it for a bit. For somer reason, the silicone spray, while making turns smoother, actually slows down my cube, so I can just add as much as I want until its not too slippery but not too stiff either.


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## thackernerd (Mar 13, 2011)

*breaking in cubes*

My v-cube 5 was very stiff out of the box and after having it for about two months it has became very good.I just got my v-cube 7 and its SUPER stiff and i was wondering if that happened to any of you and how long it took to break it in.


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## cubemaster13 (Mar 13, 2011)

after an average of 5 on my v7 i noticed a huge difference but it still wasn't as good as an older 7x7 broken in over a long amount of time. maybe a solve a day for a month will make it a lot better


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## thackernerd (Mar 13, 2011)

yeah, i have had it about a week and i solve it 1-2 a day.


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## Vinny (Mar 13, 2011)

I heard CRC and Jig-A-Loo are good lubricants for breaking in because they "eat" away the plastic. It makes the breaking in process faster. I used BSB Quiklube on my V 7 and it worked pretty good even though the stuff is really meant for like longboard wheels and stuff.


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## Sahnguini (Aug 20, 2013)

*Breaking in cubes.*

Does it really make a difference? I have a guhong v2 that's not exactly smooth, but I have a friend with a very smooth one that he used for 7 months. Is it the cube or the breaking in process? I just got it today 8/20/13


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## Username (Aug 20, 2013)

Breaking in really does help. It grinds down the plastic making it smoother, and removes a bit of the friction


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## kcl (Aug 20, 2013)

Well this is kind of on topic. I don't wait to lube cubes when I get them I just do some random stuff with it and then lube it when I have time that day. It still breaks in normally, yes?


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## windhero (Aug 20, 2013)

Lubing slows down the breaking in process, because it diminishes the friction. It would be faster to break in the cube without lube and then lube it when you got it smooth.


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## Gordon (Aug 20, 2013)

Or you could try something like this:


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## Sahnguini (Aug 20, 2013)

So i just took out the lube in my guhong v2, ill now attempt to break it in. how many solves do you think ill need?


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## legoanimate98 (Aug 21, 2013)

Sahnguini said:


> So i just took out the lube in my guhong v2, ill now attempt to break it in. how many solves do you think ill need?



I've done 10,000 solves and some mods and mine still isn't as good as it could be. It depends on what you mean by broken in.


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## Sahnguini (Aug 21, 2013)

Is ur guhong much smoother than when u first got it?


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## ComputerGuy365 (Aug 25, 2013)

I would just solve it a lot. I have a zhanchi and it's clicky, but that's because of these bumps on the pieces. Just use it and it will break in with time. Also, I would recommend putting some lubix, or calvin's lube inside your cube to help speed up the process.

Hope you found this helpful,

Comp


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## Username (Aug 25, 2013)

ComputerGuy365 said:


> Also, I would recommend putting some lubix, or calvin's lube inside your cube to help speed up the process.



Lube reduces the friction, and therefore slows down the breaking in process. A cube without lube breaks in faster than a lubed one


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## windhero (Aug 25, 2013)

Some people tried grinding 2 pieces of sand paper against each other to form a rough dust. This dust would then be poured inside the cube to increase friction and help speeding up the breaking in process. The grit of the sand paper should be atleast 300-400. This has been tested to work with a FangShi ShuangRen. It might not work with the guhong v2, because honestly the Guhong does not need smoother surfaces; It need a decent amount of plastic to be shaven off to be great. This is why modding a Guhong is still so popular. 48P mod is the mod that should be done to the guhong to make it better. So my suggestion is to grab a nail file and watch a tutorial on youtube. Then you should break in the modded cube WITHOUT lube for something like 200 solves to smoothen all the rough filed surfaces and finally lube it for the perfect product. A guhong also needs gummy lube to get that smooth feeling. This basically means a high viscosity lubricant like 50k traxxas.


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## Sahnguini (Aug 27, 2013)

It's basically almost a cool guhong v2 from the cubicle. I've done a very precise 48 pt edge mod and even the corner base rounding. UPDATE: it has gotten better, the clack noise kinda subsided but its still there. Hopefully breaking it in even more should get rid of it.


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## WhatIsRubiks (Jan 12, 2014)

*Is this normal?*

For the TL;DR skip to the bottom, for the "full story" keep reading.

Well, I just recently started getting into "cubing". My wife bought me a a Rubik's brand cube for christmas. She got it at a thrift store, still new in the box. It seems to be an older cube, because it doesn't have the rubik's logo sticker on it like the ones i see around. I was addicted immediately. My cube was really stiff at the beginning. I didn't know if this was normal or not, apparently it is. So I basically just started solving it over and over again using the basic method. I start from different sides because I figured it is like rotating a tire, if you get my drift. 

The problem is, I took my cube apart to wipe of the dust caused by all the "breaking in". I put it back together and it was actually a lot faster. Still not that great but loads better than when I started, but when it is solved some of the corner pieces sort of "jiggle" if I shake it. I almost feel like it is going to fall apart. I have done about 100 or so solves since I took it apart to clean it. I have not lubed it, because I don't have the proper lube and I don't want to risk ruining it. 

TL;DR

My question is, the more you "break in" the cube, does it get so loose that you almost feel like it is going to fall apart?


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## ottozing (Jan 12, 2014)

For most cubes that's fairly normal. Once a cube gets like that you should probably replace it.


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## Lagom (Jan 12, 2014)

WhatIsRubiks said:


> For the TL;DR skip to the bottom, for the "full story" keep reading.
> 
> Well, I just recently started getting into "cubing". My wife bought me a a Rubik's brand cube for christmas. She got it at a thrift store, still new in the box. It seems to be an older cube, because it doesn't have the rubik's logo sticker on it like the ones i see around. I was addicted immediately. My cube was really stiff at the beginning. I didn't know if this was normal or not, apparently it is. So I basically just started solving it over and over again using the basic method. I start from different sides because I figured it is like rotating a tire, if you get my drift.
> 
> ...



He he sounds like you should buy a speedcube!


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## andrus (Jan 15, 2014)

I've had an idea of speeding up the process of breaking in by putting some volcano ash into the cube. 
I immediately grabbed my sulong which I never use (so no regret) and put a pinch of ash on edge and corner pieces. Unfortunately I was too excited to take photos before I did it so I can't present you the difference. What exactly happened? The cube slowed down and became extremely cruchy and slow. No corner cutting at all. After 5 solves the ash was equally spread and the cube became a bit faster, but not as fast. 50 solves later it looked like 5000 solves old. LArge amount of grated plastic were fallling from the cube, when I was solving on a black table it looked like dandruff  I washed it in water and used a toothbrush to get rid of the remains o ash. But it's not possible. little black grains are just encased in the plastic and the cube still wears off 10 times faster than normally. Also, no lube helps to speed it up. It's simply as slow with any kind of lube as without. 
Conclusion?
Don't do it.
Just don't.


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## Kirjava (Jan 15, 2014)

andrus said:


> I've had an idea of speeding up the process of breaking in by putting some volcano ash into the cube.
> I immediately grabbed my sulong which I never use (so no regret) and put a pinch of ash on edge and corner pieces. Unfortunately I was too excited to take photos before I did it so I can't present you the difference. What exactly happened? The cube slowed down and became extremely cruchy and slow. No corner cutting at all. After 5 solves the ash was equally spread and the cube became a bit faster, but not as fast. 50 solves later it looked like 5000 solves old. LArge amount of grated plastic were fallling from the cube, when I was solving on a black table it looked like dandruff  I washed it in water and used a toothbrush to get rid of the remains o ash. But it's not possible. little black grains are just encased in the plastic and the cube still wears off 10 times faster than normally. Also, no lube helps to speed it up. It's simply as slow with any kind of lube as without.
> Conclusion?
> Don't do it.
> Just don't.



Reminds me of when I WD40'd my first cube years ago

Was good for about 30 seconds


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## kcl (Jan 15, 2014)

Kirjava said:


> Reminds me of when I WD40'd my first cube years ago
> 
> Was good for about 30 seconds



What happens with that anyway :O does it melt it?


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## Kirjava (Jan 15, 2014)

yapz


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## Geezzzer (Feb 21, 2014)

*Breaking in a Guhong V2*

Hi all! I am new to speedcubing (solve my first cube on Jan 1st) my pb is 48.93. I picked up a YJ Sulong a couple weeks back and love it. Right out of the box it was great. Yesterday i bought a Dayan Guhong V2 and so far am not impressed. What should i be doing to speed it up? A- tension it..., B- Lube or, C - Simply break it in? If I should lube it, what lube does everyone recommend?
Thanks everyone!
Cory


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## sneaklyfox (Feb 21, 2014)

all of the above
lube: some good ones are lubicle, traxxas, maru, diff oil (lubix is way too expensive)

Finally, if you don't like the cube, you don't have to use it, especially since you already have another cube that you love.


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## JKNK (Feb 21, 2014)

I think lubicle weight 2 is the best, also you should tension it and you're already breaking it in by solving it so...


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## Geezzzer (Feb 21, 2014)

Great, I will try the Lubicle. BTW... I just spent the past hour working it in and it is definitely getting better!
C


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## 5BLD (Feb 21, 2014)

Do like 500 solves and see if it's better. If not identify the problem, which is usually bits of plastic that shouldnt be there


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## Note (Mar 28, 2014)

Does 'breaking in' the cube mean randomly twisting it or doing the same alg over and over again?


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## Rocky0701 (Mar 29, 2014)

Note said:


> Does 'breaking in' the cube mean randomly twisting it or doing the same alg over and over again?


Not really, it just means that once a cube is solved a ton of times, it is "broken in" and should turn really good. I wouldn't just sit there and do the same algorithm over and over again, that is just a waste of time. Besides, if you wanted to do that to break your cube in, you might as well just be solving it.


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## brian724080 (Mar 29, 2014)

Note said:


> Does 'breaking in' the cube mean randomly twisting it or doing the same alg over and over again?



Rocky's right, the only time you want to break it in with algorithms is when you want to drill them. Even then, try to do the algorithm on different layers so they're all broken in.


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## LNZ (Mar 29, 2014)

One way, useful on 4x4+ cubes is to do emulation solving of cuboids and other smaller NxNxN cubes.

For example, a 4x4x4 can be used for 2x2x4, 4x4x2, 3x3x2, 2x2x3, 4x4x3 ,2x2x2 and 3x3x3 solving.

Even a 3x3x3 cube can be used to emulate a domino 3x3x2 cuboid.


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## PenguinsDontFly (Aug 15, 2015)

IMO, breaking in a cube involves getting the hardware moving smooth, and getting the plastic on the corner and edges worn down enough that it suits your turning. Usually, to make a cube feel newer, new hardware is the way to go.


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## jiujitsuhero (Sep 17, 2015)

*Breakin in new Aolong V2*

What's up forum, I'm new. haven't really posted much, but I decided that this will be my first post. I have been speed cubing for the past 2 months , I have an old Rubik's brand slow as hell. Then I went and got a cyclone boys 3x3 and a YJ Sulong. I have use both of these cubes tremendously alot I have gotten down from a 90-95sec average to around 50-60 sec average. I decided to purchase this new cube to carry around with me at work. I was wondering what should my break-in process should be with this cube. TIA


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## youSurname (Sep 17, 2015)

Like a car, do many many solves on it for a start. I'm not big on breaking in cubes, but from what I understand people do at least 100 or so solves.


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## Rocky0701 (Sep 17, 2015)

Now that cubes have gotten very quick, they no longer really need to be broken in unless they are a big cube. Especially at your speed breaking in a cube isn't too important (No offense!), however to break it in I recommend just doing a couple hundred solves, and then lubing it if you feel the need to. I hope this helps!

Also, welcome to the forums man!


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## DanpHan (Sep 17, 2015)

youSurname said:


> *Like a car*, do many many solves on it for a start.



Teach me the ways of solving cars.
But in all seriousness, just do a lot of solves, I don't think there's some sort of special method for breaking cubes in.


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## jiujitsuhero (Sep 19, 2015)

Rocky0701 said:


> Now that cubes have gotten very quick, they no longer really need to be broken in unless they are a big cube. Especially at your speed breaking in a cube isn't too important (No offense!), however to break it in I recommend just doing a couple hundred solves, and then lubing it if you feel the need to. I hope this helps!
> 
> Also, welcome to the forums man!



None taken bro, I'm improving everyday. I took off all the stickers on my Sulong and use it for "cross" training purposes. I have minimized my moves and time to solve the cross in doing so. I am a quick learner. I have a lot of down time at work so my hand is always on the cube. I should be making new sounds for my VST plugins or making beats, but i chose this to do.


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