The machining of high-value products needs advanced quality control to avoid the risk of expensive follow-up operations performed on parts with unacceptable quality. This situation requires the in-process or close to in-process control of the machining operation. The tangential cutting force is a parameter that characterizes the force interaction between the specific workpiece material and the specific tool geometry. This paper presents a method for a tangential cutting force calculation along the given tool path based on processing of the high-frequency data acquired from the machine tool control system with support of the geometric material removal model. The calculated data are compared with the reference dynamometer results. The influence of the variable engagement parameters is demonstrated and discussed from the perspective of the in-process workpiece quality control.