Guess I need to start tweaking...but how...

[Vince148]

I'm playing around with different bases.

I've got strong round rookie bases on the D-line.

With the strong flat rookie bases on the O-line, the O can stand up. But when I use the strong flat w/TTC, the defense is blowing right through them.

What do I have to do to make the TTCs hold up?

[Coach_J]

I am not a tweaking expert but I like to put my skilled position players on rookie bases and use my TTC bases for my OL and DL. You may want to contact either Norbert Revels, Geno H, Kelvin Lomax, or Mike Pratt for tweaking tips. Also I thought there was a DVD put out that gave tweaking tips. Sorry for the limited info but I hope that I have lead you to people who can better answer your questions.

Coach J

[Shabby J]

On the TTC you can replace the white dials with green dials from the Proline TTC, this will allow you to tweak a TTC for great strength.

[Michigan Joe]

I assume you are using Pro Lines. Do the strong flat front TTCs that you are referring to have the wide prongs or the narrow prongs? The reason I ask is that I have ordered the strong flat front Prolines sevaral times about a year ago only to get the thinner prongs (which are really the "fast" pro lines). I have never had to much luck with the thin prong Pro Line TTCs and have have never seen to many people use them either.

Tweaking is a great part of the hobby, and tweaking isn't for the experts, its for everyone. I would definately recommend to give tweaking a try to increase your enjoyment of the hobby. My advice is to use the flat nose pliers heated up with a candle warmer. For Miggle TTCs, squeeze the back prongs to thin them out (they will nearly double in width), then angle them back like this...//. Leave the front prongs relatively vertical (if anything a slight backwards angle), especially for a figure that has a slightly forward center of gravity like many of the buzzball figures. This method will start to get the TTC bases running smooth with some speed and strength. The more you flatten and angle the back prongs back the more slow it will become, but also more powerful.

It would be great to have some highly detailed step by step close up pictures for tweaking, but I'm not sure we have that right now. Take a look at Norbert Revels post on "bases for sale" to see pictures of the underside of his bases to get a feel for what the thinned out prongs should look like. Other than that, remember, the prongs shouls ideally be the same length, same thickness, and set at the same angle (//), this would typically yield the most consistent bases...then again, some of my best bases run on 3 prongs and look absolutley butchered undereneath...but thats why they call it "tweaking".

Hope this helps,
Joe

[Vince148]

Originally Posted by Michigan Joe

I assume you are using Pro Lines. Do the strong flat front TTCs that you are referring to have the wide prongs or the narrow prongs?

Yes, they are wide prongs. I have the fast ones also which are thin.

The reason I ask is that I have ordered the strong flat front Prolines sevaral times about a year ago only to get the thinner prongs (which are really the "fast" pro lines). I have never had to much luck with the thin prong Pro Line TTCs and have have never seen to many people use them either.

What's interesting is that if I can get that much penetration aginst the TTC bases with the strong straight rookies, why would I even want a TTC base on my DL? And conversely, why would I not want to use the strong flat rookies on the OL if I can blow out the defense using TTCs?

[Michigan Joe]

The strong flat front Pro Line rookie are a VERY popular base for the O-line, just look at some of the pictures of leauge play. The Pro-line TTCs require a center or rear weighted figures and aren't as popular because the dial on those base are positioned pretty far back in the shell. Center weighted figures such as Hati repros are extremely balanced in the center of the platforms and also some of the buzzball and FF.net figures are well balanced too. As Shabby J said, many people like to use the dial off the pro line TTCs and put them into the miggle TTC shells. The combination allows you to flatten out the back prongs of the Miggle TTC for strength but the beefier front prongs of the pro line will move the base better and support the weight of the figures.
Joe