How to tweak a Total Team Control Base

[NO Dave]

Photo 1: What I use - (L to R): Lighter, 5" hobby pliers (no teeth) and an emory board. I also use a set of 5" wire side cutters (not shown) to trim any flashing off the prongs. 

Photo 2: This is what is meant by no teeth - You see there are no grips. 

Photo 3: Given a Total Team Control base from right off the sprue, take your 5" hobby pliers - 

Photo 4: You will use the pliers on the rear prongs and press them flat. 

Photo 5: Once you press them, the back prongs are going to resemble teardrops. Use the 5" side cutters to remove the bulge and make the prong flat on the bottom. 

Photo 6: Your tweaked base. Use the 5" pliers to gently brush the prongs and make the rear prongs angle slightly backward. Notice the front prongs on the white dial are simply slanted. 

 

 

[NO Dave]

So how does he run? Let's see - 

Photo 1: An untweaked base from the pack

Photo 2: Our newly tweaked base

Video 1: Our race between the tweaked base and the untweaked one. The red player has our new tweaked base. 

[rollertaco]

To get even better results try using heated pliers.  Some people use a candle or coffee cup warmer to heat pliers.  I personally use a heating pad filled with rice.  I pop it into the microwave for about a minute and then set my pliers on the pad.  

The heat helps to soften the plastic for easier squeezing but it also anneals the plastic and helps it to retain its shape and hold the tweak better.

If a warmer is used I like to let the base set for just a second on the flat surface to even it all out.  

I can tweak an entire solitaire league in a few hours using this method.  I have at least three pliers going at once.

[NO Dave]

The heated pliers are VITAL for tweaking the ProLine bases. Thank ya, Rollertaco for the segue into my next post! 

[mccaber]

The experts have spoken.  Great advice!

[TOEPRO Football Kit]

The first consideration to tweaking a base is “the field” allowing full range of motion (FROM).  I tweak a fast dialed base with a backer on it.  Turn it left just inside the notch.  Run the field just fast enough it to maintain balance.  I tweak EVERYTHING from that. 
👍🏾

Edited July 6, 2020 by TOEPRO Football Kit

[zak99b5]

Going to try using heated pliers next time.

Any other way to ensure that when you clip the back prongs flat that they are square to the base and in line with each other?  I saw a device on ITZ for this....

[NO Dave]

Place the base back on the board, and observe the levelness of the prongs. If there is a slight size difference, this will affect the direction that the base will run. 

[zak99b5]

On 1/9/2021 at 2:38 PM, NO Dave said:

Place the base back on the board, and observe the levelness of the prongs. If there is a slight size difference, this will affect the direction that the base will run. 

Understood.  That's why I asked about an easy way to make sure one cuts both prongs flat and dead even.

[Cardiac Cards]

How do you tweak a base to keep a player to hold their position?  What is the best type of base for this?

 

[NO Dave]

I use a regular TTC base with the dial spun around 180 degrees.