# How to Make a Rubik's Magic String



## PCwizCube (Feb 19, 2009)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WidYascrVEU

If the video is too small or unclear in the embedded video, you can go to the actual video page and watch the video bigger, and in "HD" too (720x1280 resolution)

I know some people who run out of magic strings, and then just buy some more magics. (My friend has his third magic now) They waste a lot of money when they can make their own magic strings. I have been requested to make a video on how to make a Rubik's Magic string, and I do not see a lot of guides telling you how to do this, so I decided to make a video tutorial. I hope everyone finds it helpful 

*Video Description*
In this tutorial, I show you how to make a string for your Rubik's Magic, out of common fishing line. 

What you'll need:
1. Some fishing line
2. Scissors
3. Tape
4. Yard or meter stick

Steps:
1. Cut about 25 inches (63.5 cm) of fishing line
2. Make an over hand knot at one end of the fishing line
3. Put the overhand knot on the 0 mark of the yard/meter stick
4. Tape the fishing line down to the meter stick
5. Go to the 17 and 3/4 inch (45.085 cm) mark on the yard/meter stick
6. Make another overhand knot just before the 17 and 3/4 inch (45.085 cm) mark
7. Take the tape off the fishing line
8. Tie the two overhand knots together in a circle using a square knot
9. Cut off excess string sticking out of the overhand knot
10. Congratulations, you have just made your first Rubik's Magic String!


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## Samlambert (Feb 19, 2009)

This is AWESOME, THANKS!!!


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## panyan (Feb 19, 2009)

im just fascinated at the ruler becuase in england out rulers only go to 30cm or 12", i've never seen or even heard of a "yard stick"


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## VP7 (Feb 19, 2009)

Back when the universe was young & pluto was still a planet.

There were wooden sticks called a yard stick. The sticks were
3 feet long. (36 inch). See attachment.


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## AvGalen (Feb 19, 2009)

Good tutorial, but I would just be lazy and order some strings


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## PCwizCube (Feb 20, 2009)

AvGalen said:


> Good tutorial, but I would just be lazy and order some strings


I would do that too, but they've been out of stock forever! 

http://www.cube4you.com/347_Two-Magic-Strings.html
http://www.cubesmith.com/Parts.htm

Unless..... you can buy them somewhere else?


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## PatrickJameson (Feb 20, 2009)

Nice tutorial. I shall try this sometime when im bored and have some extra fishing line laying around.


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## Paul Wagner (Feb 20, 2009)

Rubik's Cube Fan said:


> AvGalen said:
> 
> 
> > Good tutorial, but I would just be lazy and order some strings
> ...


tribox


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## panyan (Feb 20, 2009)

Paul Wagner said:


> Rubik's Cube Fan said:
> 
> 
> > AvGalen said:
> ...



how do you understand anything on tribox?!


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## Mike Hughey (Feb 23, 2009)

Rubik's Cube Fan said:


> AvGalen said:
> 
> 
> > Good tutorial, but I would just be lazy and order some strings
> ...



I got mine from cube4you, this way:
http://www.cube4you.com/catalog_15.html

They're almost always in stock, and you get 8 strings for $4.00, which is not that much worse than 2 strings for 60 cents. I bought 3 packages, so I've got a bunch of spares.


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## AvGalen (Feb 23, 2009)

Mike Hughey said:


> Rubik's Cube Fan said:
> 
> 
> > AvGalen said:
> ...


Brilliant!
I thought those were only tiles


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## shoot1510 (Feb 26, 2009)

OMG! Thank you.
Now I can fix my rubik magic. But wait.
Hey, that was my method of making a rubik magic string from the other thread,
I just found out the part "Make a over-hand knot" and "do a square knot", yet I think you took my method or you maybe you found it out yourself.
And I think maybe I was the first person to know the method before anyone else or some people know it.
but thanks for the video, it help me. You show all people that there a way to make a homemade rubik magic string.
I don't mean it in a mean way.

Edit: Think about making a homemade string for less then 1 hour than buying a magic string from cubesmith or cubeforyou for $.60 or $1.00 then wait for 1 week-or more for the package to come into your house.

http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9558


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## PCwizCube (Feb 26, 2009)

shoot1510 said:


> OMG! Thank you.
> Hey, that was my method of making a rubik magic string from the other thread,
> I just found out the part "Make a over-hand knot" and "do a square knot", yet I think you took my method or you maybe you found it out yourself.
> And I think maybe I was the first person to know the method before anyone else or some people know it.



I don't think I stole the method from you. I just find out about that thread today, and I made the tutorial video on February 11 (Besides that thread was made a week ago). I found out how to make a Rubik's Magic string from this post (thanks pcharles93 ):
http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showpost.php?p=84416&postcount=33

Yeah, you might be the first one to come up with that idea (March 2007 ). You don't really need to brag about it though... 



shoot1510 said:


> Think about making a homemade string for less then 1 hour than buying a magic string from cubesmith or cubeforyou for $.60 or $1.00 then wait for 1 week-or more for the package to come into your house.


It takes you "less than an hour" to make one string? At most it takes me 10 minutes.....


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## Paul Wagner (Feb 26, 2009)

Mike Hughey said:


> Rubik's Cube Fan said:
> 
> 
> > AvGalen said:
> ...


Thats horrible deal Dealextreme.com sells mastermagics for 12 dollars including shipping thats 24 strings and you get a master magic!


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## Lucas Garron (Feb 26, 2009)

Paul Wagner said:


> Mike Hughey said:
> 
> 
> > Rubik's Cube Fan said:
> ...


It might not be the best deal, but it's not a horrible deal.


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## shoot1510 (Feb 26, 2009)

Rubik's Cube Fan said:


> shoot1510 said:
> 
> 
> > OMG! Thank you.
> ...



Besides I not the first person to figure it out. I figure it out from Jan 2009, so I can't be the first to get it.
I'm sure if I can make a rubik magic string in 5 min with your video.


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## cmhardw (Mar 1, 2009)

Very, very cool! I also have resorted to buying new magics, or bags and bags of strings. It would be so much nicer to be able to make them on my own. I will definitely have to learn how to do this, thanks for this tutorial!

Chris


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## James Ludlow (Aug 29, 2009)

Does anyone know what thickness/guage/breaking strain I need to use for this?

I was thinking that the stronger the better as long as it fits in the grooves.


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## yeee707 (Sep 29, 2009)

I was wondering about the gauge too. Also, I might be stupid, but how do I take the strings out of the magic? If a string broke, do I have to replace all the strings?


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## fundash (Sep 29, 2009)

Probably not, you may have to remove all the strings from it though


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## waffle=ijm (Sep 29, 2009)

yeee707 said:


> I was wondering about the gauge too. Also, I might be stupid, but how do I take the strings out of the magic? If a string broke, do I have to replace all the strings?



you take a paperclip, get under one of the grooves and grab a string using the paperclip, you would only have to replace only 1 string if only 1 broke. but usually if a string broke, you're best bet is to disassemble it and restring it again to ensure that it's in the right place. there are several tutorials on youtube to restring if you're wondering.


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## mcciff2112 (Sep 29, 2009)

waffle=ijm said:


> there are several tutorials on youtube to restring if you're wondering.



I've yet to find one that was informative enough for me to actually know what I was doing. This is the method I've always used for stringing magics


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## waffle=ijm (Sep 29, 2009)

mcciff2112 said:


> waffle=ijm said:
> 
> 
> > there are several tutorials on youtube to restring if you're wondering.
> ...



there is a tutorial on youtube about garron's stringing method

here....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6i3c2ggjQQQ&feature=channel_page


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## yeee707 (Sep 29, 2009)

Darn it, well what gauge should I get?


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## PCwizCube (Sep 29, 2009)

yeee707 said:


> Darn it, well what gauge should I get?


Well compare the thickness of your magic string... to the thickness of a fishing line... and try to get it similar.... tada! 

I really don't know the exact gauge, I just used some random fishing line I found it my fishing pole (I rarely fish by the way, so I'm a noob in that stuff). It was a little thinner than the magic strings but it worked. The knots didn't hold up though (after maybe a week of using the magic)  Either I stink at making knots or the string was too thin, I don't know.


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## yeee707 (Oct 3, 2009)

I am proud to say I have made 15 strings and reassembled my magic! However, the knots are making the strings stick together sometimes. Is there a remedy?


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## PCwizCube (Oct 4, 2009)

yeee707 said:


> I am proud to say I have made 15 strings and reassembled my magic! However, the knots are making the strings stick together sometimes. Is there a remedy?


Wow that's a lot of strings! Must have taken you a long time (takes me a while)

Yes, the string knots catch on each other and it gets annoying. I've tried re-ajusting the string (while restringing the magic) so that the knots are under the tile in the corner part of the tile.  I hope that makes sense. It SEEMS to work for me.


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## yeee707 (Oct 4, 2009)

I'll try that if my magic breaks again. I did hit a new PB of 1.53 seconds with the homemade strings though. It took about an hour to make them all, but I was watching "whose line is it anyway" to pass time lol.


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## Yes We Can! (Oct 7, 2009)

AvGalen said:


> Good tutorial, but I would just be lazy and order some strings



But the strings at c4y are much to lose!
The process of making a string does only take around 2-5 minutes.


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## James Ludlow (Jan 4, 2010)

Bump.

I didn't know if I should make a new thread or not, so I bumped this in case anyone found anything in it useful.

Back on track - was on ebay just now, and it seems Magicstrings are back in stock.

I know you can get master magics on popbuying now for just over $5, but I don't know what quality they will be. So, options are open.


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## BluePi1313 (Jul 29, 2010)

You know, I think that's stronger and more durable than a regular one.


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## Kenneth (Jul 30, 2010)

There is a type of small metal pipes that you use to join two fishing lines together, you can get them from the fishing store (I did).

Take one such, tread the line thru it and pull out some of it, then tread that end into the magic and then thread it again thru the small pipe.

Pull both ends so the line is streched in the magic, hold them like so and then use a pincher to squeese the pipe in three places and the line is locked inside, then just cut the ends and you got a perfect and durable string.

No measuring needed


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