Thanks to all for this thread. I managed to get my 012 open over the weekend (just had to pull and twist a good bit). Knowing how it was supposed to open helped, because I felt like I was going to break it in two.
Anyway, my problem was a simple case of a poor soldering connection coming undone. The problem was verified through the link Cannabis posted. A few seconds with a soldering iron and I'm back in business.
