Chainsaw Shed

The components of a cutter:

• Cutting corner
• Top plate
• Side plate
• Depth gauge
• Toe
• Rivet hole
• Gullet

The most critical part of a cutter is the Cutting Corner. During the cutting process it is the first part of the cutter to come in contact with the wood. It’s the strongest part of the cutter. It is where the top and side plate meet and is the strongest part of the cutter. Chainsaw users should pay particular attention to the filing angle.
Jutting from the corner is the top plate. Chisel type cutter top plates lifts the wood out just like a chisel would, Some top-plates might be longer depending on the chain and the features. The chains that have longer top plates are designed to extend the life of the chain. On some chains a feature called a filing angle mark stamped into the top plate. This feature is built into many Oregon chains and is referred to as Witness mark. This feature helps chainsaw users do 4 important things:
1. Sharpen the chain at its optimum angle
2. Sharpen the chain accurately throughout its useful life
3. Keep the lengths of cutter top-plates equal
4. Know when the chain has reached the end of its life