| PROBLEM | PROBABLE CAUSES | POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS |
| Breakage | Excessive feed | Reduce feed |
| Lack of rigidity | Make tool or work rigid | |
| Improperly applied coolant | Be sure coolant is on cutting point of tool | |
| Chipbreaker too narrow | Use a wider chipbreaker | |
| Dull insert | Re-index or replace insert | |
| Carbide grade too soft | Use higher strength carbide | |
| Built-up edge | Improperly applied coolant | Increase coolant flow |
| Speed and feed too slow | Increase speed or increase feed | |
| Rake angle too slight | Use positive rake angle | |
| Chatter | Incorrect feed | Increase feed |
| Too large a nose radius | Reduce nose radius | |
| Lack of rigidity | Make tool or work rigid | |
| Improper angles | Decrease rake angle or increase relief and clearance angle or check mounting horsepower, spindles | |
| PROBLEM | PROBABLE CAUSES | POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS |
| Chip Clogging | Chips too long | Use narrower chipbreaker or increase chip wells |
| Excessive feed | Reduce feed | |
| Chipping | Chipbreaker too narrow | Use a wider chipbreaker |
| Improper angles | Use negative rake angles or small relief angles or use larger nose radius or use cutting edge angle or use pre-honed inserts | |
| Excessive feed | Reduce feed | |
| Lack of rigidity | Make tool or work rigid | |
| Carbide grade | Use higher strength carbide | |
| Scale or voids in workpiece | Increase speed | |
| Cratering | Excessive speed, feed, or both, eroding top of tool | Reduce speed or reduce feed or use a carbide grade higher in crater resistance |
| Rake angle too slight | Use positive rake angles | |
| PROBLEM | PROBABLE CAUSES | POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS |
| Deformation | High temperature at cutting edge | Reduce speed or reduce feed or use a harder grade of carbide |
| Large Volume metal removal | Reduce tool angles or increase nose radius or use positive rake tools | |
| Excessive Wear | Speed too high or feed too light | Reduce speed or increase feed |
| Carbide too soft | Use more wear resistance carbide | |
| Improper angle | Increase side cutting angle or use larger relief angle | |
| Notching | High abrasive surface scale or work hardened previously machined surface | Increase a side cutting edge angle or reduce feed or use a larger radius or reduce speed |
| Poor Finish | Feed rate too high | Decrease feed, increase nose radius |
| Surface speed low | Increase speed | |
| Lack of rigidity | Make tool or work rigid | |
| Dull insert | Re-index or replace insert | |
| PROBLEM | PROBABLE CAUSES | POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS |