The chatter in metal cutting is a kind of self-excited phenomenon and affects the tool life as well as the metal removal rate. The stability lobe diagram (SLD) can help to select machining parameters so as to avoid chatter vibration. This work develops the single degree of freedom (SDOF) and multiple degree of freedom (MDOF) system models to predict the SLD for milling. First, the SDOF vibration system analysis is reviewed for chatter analysis. The milling cutting tools is assumed as the SDOF model to discuss the chatter phenomenon. The procedure to obtain the SLD is then presented step by step and applied to develop the SLD prediction program. Finally, the SDOF model for predicting the SLD is extended to the MDOF model that can be used to predict the SLD for practical milling tests. This work lays out the principle in analyzing the SLD and discusses it's applications to properly select machining parameters for avoiding chatter phenomenon.