The optimization in the machining process has been a long-standing goal of the manufacturing community. The optimization is composed of two main subjects;one is to select an optimum cutting condition, and the other is to detect the emergency situation and take necessary actions in real-time base. This paper proposes a reliable and practical guide system whose purpose is the optimization of cutting conditions, and the detection of tool failure in the machining process. The optimal cutting conditions are determined through the estimation of tool wear rate and the establishment of access- ible field from the measured cutting temperature and force. Tool breakage is detected by the normal force component acting on minor flank face extracted from on-line sensed feed force and radial force. In experiments, the proposed guide system has proved availability for the decision of reliable cutting conditions for the given tool-work system and the detection of tool breakage in ordinary cutting environments.