Layer 2

The second layer is actually a very easy layer, once you have learnt the one sequence needed to complete it.

By now you should have something looking like this:
cube2-1 cube2-1 cube2-1 cube2-1

You need to look at the bottom layer (oppostite the side you just solved) and pick an edge piece that should be in the middle row. Remembering that the centres of each face don't move, pick any edge that fits between 2 coloured sides on the second layer. Eg in the diagrams above. White-Orange, Orange-Yellow, Yellow-Red and Red-White.

Now you need to get the edge piece into the right position in the third layer. The colour on the side (ie. the side of the cube, not the one opposite the colour you have solved) should be rotated until it is opposite the centre piece of that colour. Eg the red-yellow edge...

cube2-5 cube2-6 cube2-2 cube2-7

Now the general way to solve it, and how I remember it (rather than remembering 2 lots of moves) is like this:

  1. Hold the cube with the colour on the other side of the edge piece you just rotated. ie red in the example.
    IMPORTANT: Do not change orientation of the cube at any point, or this won't work!
  2. Turn the position you want the piece in to the top layer.
  3. Rotate the middle down (or move middle and a side down, then the side back up)
  4. Rotate the botom layer so you get a pattern like this (of the colour of the first layer):
    cube2-8ORcube2-9
  5. Rotate the middle up again
  6. Rotate the front so you have that side mostly finished (there will be one corner not set)
  7. Set the corner again (you should know this by now)

The edge piece should now be set. Now set the other 3 edges.

Directions

If you didn't understand the above, here are the directions.

Hold the cube with the colour on the other side of the edge piece you just rotated.

Example above

frontCW middledown bottomleft middleup frontCCW bottomleft rightdown bottomright rightup

OR

cube2-7 cube2-4 cube2-11 cube2-10

frontCCW middledown bottomright middleup frontCW bottomright leftdown bottomleft leftup

What if I have the piece in the right place, but its the wrong way around?
or there are no peices in the bottom layer?
The sequences above will move any piece in the way above. So you can move a random piece into the place, then the piece you want should be in the bottom layer where you need it to be :)

Finished Layer 2

Right you should have now one side completely finished, and looks like this:

cube2-14 cube2-13 cube2-12 cube2-15

On to Layer 3