What is the Magic Cube?  top
The magic cube is made up of  8 single cubes. When you unfold the cube three new surfaces (red, green, blue) then appear. The magic cube usually is a picture cube. The sides don't have the same colour, but they show nine different pictures, six outside and three inside. 

The name "magic cube" is not unique. The magic cube can also be the three-dimensional extension of the "magic square" or "Rubik's Cube".

Description of the Cube top 
Eight single cubes form the magic cube. Each individual cube has 6 squares; together there are 6x8=48 squares, 24 squares are visible, 24 are hidden. You can produce three rectangles with 8 squares each by folding. Eight hinges are skilfully arranged in the three dimensions.

The position of the eight hinges becomes clear from the following drawings:  Another representation of the hinges: The ways to the three rectangles is shown by the two animated Gifs. The cube on the left must stand on its head, in order to find the blue and the green surface on the right. 

Building the Cube   top

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If you want to build the magic cube, you should at first understand the position of the hinges. You join eight equal cubes, e.g. dice, with eight sticky tapes (yellow).

If you like to build the magic cube, you need eight cubes with an edge length of 1.5''. Then you must have nine pictures, six must have the measurements 3'' x  3'' and three  the measurements 3'' x  6''. You stick the pictures to the appropriate surfaces. You must separate the squares with a sharp knife at the edges, where no hinges are.

The magic cubes you can buy are made by machineries. You can hardly achieve the quality of the pictures printed on foil and the accuracy of the cube as formed in manual work. 

Purchase of the Cube   top
The magic cube is the latest fashion (September 2000). You can buy it in toy- or bookshops for 10€ in Germany. It also turns up in advertisements. 

The Magic Cube on the Internet   top
There are many companies offering the magic cube. 
http://www.screameria.com/cubes.html    (English) 
http://www.asianpromos.com/products/desktoys/desktoys0003.html  (English) 
http://www.magiccubes.co.za   (South Africa)
http://www.faltwerk.de/formen/faltwerk-formen.html  (German) 

Akira Nishihara
Yoshimoto Cube

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