Skewb

thingiverse

A custom-designed Skewb was created by me, a unique twisty puzzle inspired by the classic Skewb. The original Skewb is a deep cut corner turning cube, as described in detail on Wikipedia. This innovative puzzle was invented around 1990 by Tony Durham and marketed by Uwe Mefert. The design was patented in the US in 1994, but this patent has since expired. The Skewb is commercially available from several manufacturers worldwide. My custom-designed Skewb resembles a Rubik's Cube but features four rotation planes and only one cutting plane per rotation axis, similar to a 2x2x2 Rubik's Cube. This design deviates significantly from the traditional Skewb by incorporating curvy, oversized rails that ensure stability, robustness against low-resolution printers, minimal popping, and some corner cutting ability. The dimensions of this custom-designed Skewb are 50x50x50 mm, but it can be scaled up or down based on personal preferences. If there is sufficient interest, I could also provide a more traditional design. Print Settings: Printer Brand: MakerBot Printer: MakerBot Replicator Rafts: Not necessary Supports: Yes Resolution: 0.2 Infill: 10% Notes: Print each of the supplied STL files the correct number of times, as indicated in the file name. I used grey-white PLA to create this custom-designed Skewb. Assembly requires 1 core piece, 4 fixed corner pieces, 4 cap pieces, 4 floating corner pieces, and 6 centers. Orientation: To achieve a smooth surface finish, aim to place the straight surfaces (outside of the puzzle) level with the printing bed. For example, you can orient the square centers this way. Assembly requires 4 screws or machine bolts, 3mm in diameter, and optionally some springs (ballpoint springs work well too). Without springs, use 15 mm screws/bolts; otherwise, use 20-25 mm screws/bolts. I also have an alternative hollow core design that replaces the core piece. This design can be used with a slightly longer bolt and counter-bolt instead of a screw. Post-Printing: Sanding & Stickering: Inside sanding and lapping are optional but recommended to improve turning quality. Outside sanding is necessary for a smooth finish. Apply stickers, preferably 6 distinct colors. You'll need one square sticker (32x32 mm) and four rectangular triangle-shaped stickers per side (long side 32 mm, height 16 mm). Traditionally, the following colors are used at opposite sides of the cube: white-yellow, red-orange, blue-green. I admit that I made a poor job on the stickering myself, and I urgently need to re-sticker my own puzzle... How I Designed This: I used Autodesk Inventor to design this custom Skewb. First, I created a cutting line on a plane through four cube corners (diagonally) and revolved it around a rotation axis through two opposing cube corners. Then, I patterned that design around the cube to the other three axes. Next, I added screw holes, tolerances, filleting, etc., to complete the design.