Most of the cutting models developed in the literature attest only to the presence of cutting forces in the balance of mechanical actions resulting from cutting. However, several studies have highlighted the presence of cutting moments during machining, and particularly 3D cutting in milling. The objective of this paper is to characterise phenomena associated with cutting moments by performing experimental mechanistic modelling in 3D cutting. For this purpose, several modelling factors will be investigated, such as the 3D cutting reference frame, the undeformed chip section, the cutting parameters, the cutting zone, etc. The predictive model of this study proves to be relatively efficient for an experimental model and allows a global prediction of cutting moments in milling. Furthermore, beyond the aspect of stress fields in the workpiece caused by cutting moments, this paper gives perspectives from an energetic point of view for which the share of moments in the energy balance could be substantial for monobloc tools.