<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hey Hey ChainPoints...<div><br></div><div>On the road again! We are in San Luis Obispo, California for the next few days working with the Forestry Students at Cal Poly University and then the first of next week with the County Maintenance Employees. Beautiful place and gorgeous weather is expected.</div><div><br></div><div>Check out all the videos posted on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/ardtim">www.youtube.com/ardtim</a> channel. Elvex and Rob Lagerstrom have done a great job with these. A lot of information on Personal Protective Equipment.</div><div><br></div><div>Lean or Not Lean - Check out the article below.</div><div><br></div><div>50Fuel is now TruFuel50 (40) and is available through your local dealer, Home Depot Stores and our website eStore. GetYaSome....</div><div><br></div><div>All the PFERD Chain Sharp's, Bar Dressers and Stump Vise's are in stock at the eStore too...</div><div><br></div><div><br><div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; "><i>Good Sawing,</i></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; "><i><b>Tim Ard</b></i></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; "><a href="mailto:timard@forestapps.com">timard@forestapps.com</a></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; ">(O) 770.222.2511</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; "><a href="http://www.ForestApps.com">www.ForestApps.com</a></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; ">Twitter - @ForestApps</div></div></span>
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<h1><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:Helvetica">Lean or Not...</span></h1><p class="HeaderFooter"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:Helvetica">By Tim
Ard, Forest Applications Training, Inc.</span></p><p class="Body1"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="Body1"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:Helvetica">One of the
toughest information areas for me to learn regarding falling trees was to understand
lean. I find today in my workshops this is true for most people.</span></p><p class="Body1"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="Body1"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:Helvetica">I used to try to
look up the trunk and move around the base of the tree trying to see where the
tree wants to go. Lean is noticeable with trees using this technique, but what
about those that are not so lean descriptive?</span></p><p class="Body1"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="Body1"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:Helvetica">Soren Eriksson
finally got it through my head, after a couple of the first years training
together, that trees lean 360 degrees and if you expect the tree to do and go
where you want it to, you must pick the place to put it and discern the lean to
that spot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p><p class="Body1"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="Body1"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:Helvetica">Lean is actually
determined in relationship to the position of the face notch and controlling
hinge. Realizing there are two leans that you have to recon with in relation to
the hinge position, you must put yourself in two positions to take lean
information. You should take the side lean from or in line with your proposed
lay/target location. The second, forward or back lean, is taken from a position
perpendicular or simply 90 degrees to the target. This gives you the knowledge
of where the crowns weight leans in relationship to the fulcrum or pivot point
in the proposed fall, the hinge....</span></p><p class="Body1"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="Body1"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:Helvetica">If the center
weight line of the crown, standing in line with your target or lay, falls to
the side of the center line of the tree base, it has side lean in that
direction. If the center weight of the crown, standing in a position 90 degrees
to the target, falls toward the target side of your hinge position, it leans
forward. If the line falls behind the hinge position, the tree leans back.</span></p><p class="Body1"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="Body1"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:Helvetica">Yes, the tree
can be affected by things like wind, intertwined or pushing limbs, etc., but if
not effected by those things, gravity will prevail and the tree will fall to
your informed leaning position if the notch and hinge perform correctly.</span></p><p class="Body1"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="Body1"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:
Helvetica">The Technique</span></b></p><p class="Body1"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:Helvetica">To determine
leans effectively I have found it beneficial to point. When standing in the
target/lay position, take your right index finger and point to the farthest
limb stretching to the right side of the trees crown. Hold that position. Now,
point with your left index finger to the farthest limb out the left side. Hold
that position. Find a visual point between those two finger points in the
middle of the tree crown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I simply
bring my two fingers equally to the center of the two points and that's the top
position of my plumb line. I then follow a plumb straight line to the base of
the tree. Where that line falls in relation to the trunk and hinge is the measured
lean. From the perpendicular position do the same for the forward or back lean
reading.</span></p><p class="Body1"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="Body1"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:Helvetica">This can become
a very quick and accurate way of taking true leans with very little practice.
People ask, what if this or that... Like if the trunk leans the opposite way of
the limbs? Again, it is the most accurate way of calculating leans. You will be
amazed at how balance heavy the limbs are. The trunk most often will be
following the lead of the limb weight. Even if it doesn't, the limbs will
usually rule the lean reading. If you can't determine a definite lean, treat it
as back lean and you will never be surprisingly stuck in the tree...</span></p><p class="Body1"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="Body1"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:Helvetica">Remember, lean
is only a portion of the needed information before attempting to fell a tree.
Review information on our website at </span><u><a href="http://www.ForestApps.com"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:Helvetica;
color:black">www.ForestApps.com</span></a></u><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:
Helvetica"> and your chain saw operators instruction manual for other important
things to consider before attempting a chainsaw task. Always wear personal
protective equipment (PPE) when running a chainsaw and working in a forest,
wooded area and or storm clean up. If you don’t feel comfortable or can formulate
a complete plan- contact a professional. Saving time or money on one or even
more trees is not worth serious injury or death.</span></p><p class="Body1"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="Body1"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:Helvetica">Practice this
lean information technique a few times. You will find, as I and many others
have, that lean never lies. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">It's either
lean or it's not...</b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="Body1"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="Body1"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="Body1"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:Helvetica">Tim Ard is
President of Forest Applications Training, Inc., a leading training company for
all chain saw safety and applications. For more information about chain saw
training browse </span><u><a href="http://www.forestapps.com"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:Helvetica;color:black">www.forestapps.com</span></a></u><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:Helvetica"> or website or contact us at </span><u><a href="mailto:info@ForestApps.com"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:Helvetica;
color:black">info@ForestApps.com</span></a></u><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:
Helvetica"> . Follow ForestApps on Twitter and Face Book as Forest
Applications.</span></p><p class="Body1"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="Body1"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:Helvetica">(C) Copyright
2011 Forest Applications Training, Inc.</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:windowtext"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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