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3D-Printed Rubik's Cube (3x3)

A 57 mm 3x3 puzzle cube with snap-fit white tiles I paint. First test corner didn't fit. Paused for now.

  • 3D Printing
  • Mechanisms
PausedBUILD LOG #11

// What I'm building

A 3D-printed 3x3 puzzle cube, the standard 57 mm size, that turns smoothly. It has 8 corners, 12 edges and 6 centers, just like a real one.

On the outside are about 54 snap-fit white PLA tiles with rounded edges that I paint, and the white center tile gets my circle "C" logo.

It's printed on my Bambu Lab printer. Inside, a spinning center core with screws and springs holds it together and makes it turn.

I took apart my speed cube and measured the core, screw, spring and pieces with a ruler. The first prototype is 7 parts: a test corner, a test edge, a corner body, an edge body, a white paintable tile, a center overlay and the C logo tile.

Buy a kit?
No kit that clearly fit was under my $15 budget.
✔ Reuse a core
Take the core, screws and springs out of one of my cheap speed cubes.
  • Standard 57 mm 3x3
  • ~54 snap-fit white PLA tiles to paint
  • Circle C logo on the white center
  • Bambu Lab printer
  • Reused speed-cube core, screws + springs
  • Prototype 1: 7 printed parts
3x3 CUBE · 57 mm 57 mm REUSED CORE+ SCREWS & SPRINGS ~54 SNAP-FIT WHITE PLA TILES"C" LOGO · I PAINT THEM (redesign next)

// Build Log

  1. Try #1 — screws and springs

    WHAT I TRIED
    Looked on Amazon for a screw and spring kit that would fit my cube, under my $15 budget.
    WHAT BROKE
    Amazon had no kit that clearly fit for under $15, and buying one before I know the sizes could get me the wrong parts.
    THE FIX
    Reuse the core, screws and springs from one of my two cheap speed cubes. Maybe no buying needed!

  2. Try #2 — measure the core

    WHAT I TRIED
    Took apart my speed cube and measured the core, screw, spring, corner, edge and center pieces next to a ruler.
    WHAT BROKE
    Nothing broke — just measuring!
    THE FIX
    Used the measurements to design the first prototype: 7 STL parts.

  3. Try #3 — the red test corner

    WHAT I TRIED
    Printed a red test corner to compare with the real corner from my speed cube.
    WHAT BROKE
    It didn't fit! The test corner had a long stem with a ball on the end, but the real corner uses a short, wide, curved locking foot with a lip.
    THE FIX
    Redesign the corner with a matching curved foot, plus a little extra room so it can slide.

  4. Try #4 — redesigned corner

    WHAT I TRIED
    Getting ready to redesign the test corner.
    WHAT BROKE
    Not started yet. I paused the project.
    THE FIX
    Take one more ruler photo of the original corner's locking foot to get the real measurements.
NEXT STEP

Paused for now; next is a ruler photo of the corner's locking foot, then a redesigned test corner.