Milling cutter clamping wedge with hardened chip surface

Abstract

A cutting tool is disclosed which includes a tool body having a mounting portion to be secured to a machine tool and having a plurality of insert receiving recesses formed therein. A plurality of cutting inserts are releasably attached to the insert receiving recesses, respectively. The tool body has a nitrided hard layer formed on a surface thereof. Furthermore, a clamp member used in the tool preferably has an abutment surface to be held in abutting contact with the insert or other parts and a chip-contacting surface with which cutting chips produced during cutting operation are brought into contact. The chip-contacting surface is defined by a nitriding hard layer formed on a precision-cast unglazed surface, and has a surface which is left without finish-working. Furthermore, a method for producing a cutting tool which includes a tapped hole formed therein and having an inner surface defining an unnitrided portion is disclosed. In this method, a plug is first threaded into the tapped hole. Subsequently, the tool body is subjected to nitriding treatment to form a hard layer on the surface of the tool body, and the plug is subsequently removed from the tool body.