diff --git a/explore_120cell.js b/explore_120cell.js
index e2a508f..c30253d 100644
--- a/explore_120cell.js
+++ b/explore_120cell.js
@@ -100,11 +100,6 @@ export function chord_survey() {
     }
 }
 
-// how to proceed: start with the 120-cell that has five 600-cells inscribed
-// in it. Take the 120 nodes from one of those 600-cells, and construct a 5-cell
-// from each such that all of the vertices are on different 600-cells.
-
-// collect them and output by label because every 5-cell is on all 5 600-cells
 
 function overlap(c1, c2) {
     for( const l in c1 ) {
@@ -116,13 +111,13 @@ function overlap(c1, c2) {
 }
 
 
-export function gather_5cells() {
-    const cell120 = POLYTOPES.cell120_inscribed();
+export function gather_5cells(cell120) {
     const CHORD5 = round_dist(Math.sqrt(2.5));
     const bins = [];
+    const all = [];
     cell120.nodes.filter((n) => n.label === 1).map((n) => {
-        const g = distance_group(cell120, n, CHORD5);
         const cells = [ ];
+        const g = distance_group(cell120, n, CHORD5);
         for( const pair of g ) {
             let seen = false;
             for( const cell of cells ) {
@@ -146,26 +141,69 @@ export function gather_5cells() {
                 cells.push(cell);
            }
         }
-        //console.log(`From ${n.id}`);
-        //console.log(cells);
-        for( const cell of cells ) {
-            let binned = false;
-            for( const bin of bins ) {
-                const overlaps = bin.filter((b) => overlap(b, cell));
-                if( overlaps.length === 0 ) {
-                    bin.push(cell);
-                    binned = true;
-                    break;
-                }
-            }
-            if( !binned ) {
-                console.log(`new bin for ${JSON.stringify(cell)}`);
-                bins.push([ cell ]);
-            }
-        }
-        //console.log(bins);
-    })
-    ;
+        all.push(...cells);
+   });
+    return all;
 }
 
-gather_5cells();
+function audit_5cells(cells) {
+    // this verifies that for each label (a 600-cell set), each of its 
+    // vertices is in exactly 7 5-cells. It checks out.
+    
+    ['1','2','3','4','5'].map((l) => {
+        const sets = {};
+        for( const cell of cells ) {
+            const lv = cell[l];
+            if( !(lv in sets) ) {
+                sets[lv] = [];
+            }
+            sets[lv].push(cell);
+        }
+        for( const lv in sets ) {
+            const ok = ( sets[lv].length === 7 ) ? 'ok' : 'miss';
+            console.log(`${l},${lv},${sets[lv].length},${ok}`);
+        }
+    });
+}
+
+function try_120_5_cells(cell120, cells, l) {
+    // iterate over every vertex in the 600-cell defined by label l,
+    // get all 7 5-cells including that vertex, and add them if they are
+    // disjoint with what we already have
+
+    const vertices = cell120.nodes.filter((n) => n.label === l);
+
+    const cellset = [];
+    for( const v of vertices ) {
+        console.log(`Vertex ${v.id}`);
+        const vcells = cells.filter((c) => c[l] === v.id);
+        const overlap_any = (cs, c) => {
+            for( const seen of cs ) {
+                console.log(c);
+                if( overlap(seen, c) ) {
+                    console.log("overlap");
+                    console.log(seen);
+                    console.log(c);
+                    return true;
+                    
+                }
+            }
+            return false;
+        }
+        const disjoint = vcells.filter((c) => ! overlap_any(cellset, c));
+        console.log(`Found ${disjoint.length} disjoint cells`);
+        if( disjoint.length > 0 ) {
+            cellset.push(disjoint[0]);
+        }
+    }
+    console.log(`Found total of ${cellset.length} disjoint cells`);
+    //console.log(cellset);
+}
+
+
+
+
+const cell120 = POLYTOPES.cell120_inscribed();
+const all5 = gather_5cells(cell120);
+
+try_120_5_cells(cell120, all5, 1);