# How to solve a clock BLD with my method



## ben1996123 (Oct 26, 2010)

*Algorithms*

*Edges* - Top left pin up, others down, turn the top left wheel until the top edge hits 12. Top right pin up, others down, turn the top right wheel the same amount. Top two pins up, others down, turn the same amount in the other direction so the top edge is at 12 again.

*Centres* - Top left pin up, others down, turn the top left wheel until the centre hits 12. Bottom right pin up, others down, turn the bottom right wheel the same amount. Top left and bottom right pin up, turn the same amount in the other direction so the centre is at 12 again.

*Corners* - Top left pin DOWN, others UP, turn any wheel where the pin up, so everything is _x_ hours after 12 where _x_ is the corner clocks hour, eg. Top left clock is at 8, you would turn any other peg 4 hours anticlockwise. All pins up, turn any wheel the same amount in the other direction so the corner is at 12.

*Method*

Each clock will be solved separately, the order that I solve them is: Top edge, right edge, bottom edge, left edge, centre, flip clock over and do the same. Then flip the clock back to the first side and solve the corners.

*Memorisation*

Simple, just memorise what times the clocks are on, but the centre clocks are a bit strange. eg. If you have an edge that is on 5, and you solve it with the algorithm I showed before, the centre clock will also be put 5 hours back. If a clock is on 12 already, do nothing and skip to the next clock.

eg.

1-5-3
8-1-6
2-9-9

For the edges, I would memorise 5-6-9-8, but after the top edge is solved, the centre will be on 8 and not 1, because it also goes 5 hours back. So after the right edge is solved, the centre will go from 8 to 2. After the bottom edge, the centre will go forwards 3 hours, so it will now be on 5. And after the last edge, it will go from 5 to 9. So for this, the final memorisation for

1-5-3
8-1-6
2-9-9

would be, 5-6-9-8-9. Do the same for the other side of the clock, then flip it back to the first side and memorise what the corners are on; each corner does not change anything else, so you don't need to work out what they will be on, they are always the same as what you see them on.

*Solving*

For the edges, you would simply do the algorithm I showed before, then do a z' and continue for the 4 edges. After the 4th edge, don't forget the final z' so the clock is in its original orientation.

For the centres, just do the algorithm.

For the corners, after the first corner (top left) has been solved, you would just do the same algorithm but instead of pushing the top left pin down, you would push the top right pin down, then the bottom right, and finally the bottom left pin.

*Takes of blindfold*

YAY 

*Full example solve*

UU u6--- dU u5'---dd u2'--- Ud u5 --- dU u5'--- Ud u --- UU u3 --- UU u --- UU u6 ---dd --- Ud
dd d3 ---dU d2'---UU d4 ---Ud d4'---UU ------ UU ------ Ud ------ dU ------ UU ------ dd d5 --- Ud

Should end up with:

5-12-11
3-10-5
2-4-12

Flip

1-9-7
4-6-2
12-10-10

Memorisation: 12-5-4-3

Centre:
Start: 10
After 1st edge: 10
After 2nd edge: 5
After 3rd edge: 1
After 4th edge: 10

Memorisation: 12-5-4-3-10

Flip the clock over.

Memorisation: 12-5-4-3-10-9-2-10-4

Centre:
Start: 6
After 1st edge: 9
After 2nd edge: 7
After 3rd edge: 9
After 4th edge: 5

Memorisation: 12-5-4-3-10-9-2-10-4-5

Flip the clock back to the first side.

Memorisation: 12-5-4-3-10-9-2-10-4-5-5-11-12-2

So if you can remember this sequence of 14 numbers (one for each independent clock), and you know the method, you can solve the Rubik's clock blindfolded.


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## bluecloe45 (Oct 26, 2010)

memo: none
execution: peel


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## DavidWoner (Oct 26, 2010)

ddUU U=n / UdUU U=-n / dUUU U=-n / UUUU U=n is a better edge alg because it doesn't mess up centers.


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## qqwref (Oct 26, 2010)

Oh I see, so you're saving moves on edges by changing the center too. Interesting.


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## Toad (Oct 26, 2010)

Hmmm, very interesting. What times are you *averaging* (for successes) with this method?


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## ben1996123 (Oct 26, 2010)

randomtoad said:


> Hmmm, very interesting. What times are you *averaging* (for successes) with this method?


 
Just over 2 minutes normally. 

2:02.74 
2:22.34 
1:53.59 DNF by 1 centre
2:14.04


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## kinch2002 (Oct 27, 2010)

If you want to stick to that centre-moving alg on edges, then maybe memo the centre clock as it looks and try to figure out the change in it as you solve the edges, rather than during memorisation - I think I would be quicker doing it that way, but it might be preference.
Also, on corners you could store up the UUUU turns through all the corners and just do one at the end (shouldn't be too hard to keep track of as you solve).
Other than that, nice little guide  and I think you could get quicker at execution with practise because it's a decent method. I don't think being world-class at clock sighted is a massive advantage in clockbld as you have to count the clicks anyway (unless you're so insane that you could get it the flick right every time) so there's no reason one person should be a whole lot faster than someone else at exec.


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## Neo63 (Oct 27, 2010)

Excellent tutorial. I will try my first bld solve soon (hopefully).


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## uberCuber (Oct 27, 2010)

kinch2002 said:


> If you want to stick to that centre-moving alg on edges, then maybe memo the centre clock as it looks and try to figure out the change in it as you solve the edges, rather than during memorisation - I think I would be quicker doing it that way, but it might be preference.
> Also, on corners you could store up the UUUU turns through all the corners and just do one at the end (shouldn't be too hard to keep track of as you solve).
> Other than that, nice little guide  and I think you could get quicker at execution with practise because it's a decent method. I don't think being world-class at clock sighted is a massive advantage in clockbld as you have to count the clicks anyway (unless you're so insane that you could get it the flick right every time) *so there's no reason one person should be a whole lot faster than someone else at exec.*



i can give you a good reason how someone would be a lot faster than someone else: someone who has very little BLD practice (in general, not just for clock) will often doubt the strength of their memorization and will constantly question themselves, re-going over their memo in the middle of the solve to make sure they still remember everything.


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## StachuK1992 (Oct 27, 2010)

Very nice.
I look forward to my first clock solve being a virtual BLD solve.
This shall be interesting.


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## ben1996123 (Oct 27, 2010)

kinch2002 said:


> If you want to stick to that centre-moving alg on edges, then maybe memo the centre clock as it looks and try to figure out the change in it as you solve the edges, rather than during memorisation - I think I would be quicker doing it that way, but it might be preference.
> *Also, on corners you could store up the UUUU turns through all the corners and just do one at the end (shouldn't be too hard to keep track of as you solve).*
> Other than that, nice little guide  and I think you could get quicker at execution with practise because it's a decent method. I don't think being world-class at clock sighted is a massive advantage in clockbld as you have to count the clicks anyway (unless you're so insane that you could get it the flick right every time) so there's no reason one person should be a whole lot faster than someone else at exec.



Yeah I've thought of that before, will probably give it a try tomorrow.


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## kinch2002 (Oct 27, 2010)

uberCuber said:


> i can give you a good reason how someone would be a lot faster than someone else: someone who has very little BLD practice (in general, not just for clock) will often doubt the strength of their memorization and will constantly question themselves, re-going over their memo in the middle of the solve to make sure they still remember everything.


You might be right with that, but although it is exec time that is affected, the underlying problem is in the memo. Maybe I should say that the actual turning speed will be fairly similar between people. Thankfully I've done a fair bit of bld before (and I love numbers) so my memo was sub-30 straight away but for someone like Ben who has only done a bit of single 3bld it will inevitably take a little longer. But yeah, I doubt my turning is much faster than his (while bld) despite me being twice as fast sighted


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