Select and install cutting tools and other accessories according to specifications, using hand tools or power tools.

“Select and install cutting tools and other accessories according to specifications, using hand tools or power tools.” is a core task performed by Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. Among the occupation's 15 rated tasks, workers place it 11th by importance (#5 most important). About 84% of workers say it is relevant to their job.

This is a single occupation-specific task statement from O*NET. The figures below describe how central the task is to the job and what independent studies measure about AI and this kind of work — not a prediction that the task will be automated.

Work activities this task rolls up to

O*NET groups concrete tasks into broader work activities shared across many occupations.

• Select materials or equipment for operations or projects. in Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Position workpieces or materials on equipment. in Handling and Moving Objects

AI exposure

The OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rates this task E0. No direct exposure — current language models give little or no time savings on this task.

Exposure measures whether a model could meaningfully speed the task up — it is an estimate of overlap with model capabilities, not a measure of whether the work will be done by software. The study's intermediate score (β) for this task is 0.00. Automation potential label: T0.

Other tasks in this occupation

• Remove workpieces from machines, and check to ensure that they conform to specifications, using measuring instruments such as microscopes, gauges, calipers, and micrometers. · importance 4.5
• Verify alignment of workpieces on machines, using measuring instruments such as rules, gauges, or calipers. · importance 4.4
• Move controls to set cutting specifications, to position cutting tools and workpieces in relation to each other, and to start machines. · importance 4.3
• Observe milling or planing machine operation, and adjust controls to ensure conformance with specified tolerances. · importance 4.3
• Position and secure workpieces on machines, using holding devices, measuring instruments, hand tools, and hoists. · importance 4.3
• Study blueprints, layouts, sketches, or work orders to assess workpiece specifications and to determine tooling instructions, tools and materials needed, and sequences of operations. · importance 4.2
• Replace worn tools, using hand tools, and sharpen dull tools, using bench grinders. · importance 4.2
• Compute dimensions, tolerances, and angles of workpieces or machines according to specifications and knowledge of metal properties and shop mathematics. · importance 4.2
• Move cutters or material manually or by turning handwheels, or engage automatic feeding mechanisms to mill workpieces to specifications. · importance 4.1
• Mount attachments and tools, such as pantographs, engravers, or routers, to perform other operations, such as drilling or boring. · importance 4.1
• Select cutting speeds, feed rates, and depths of cuts, applying knowledge of metal properties and shop mathematics. · importance 4.0
• Record production output. · importance 3.9
• Make templates or cutting tools. · importance 3.9
• Turn valves or pull levers to start and regulate the flow of coolant or lubricant to work areas. · importance 3.7

See all tasks on the Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic page.

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

• O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
• “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

@misc{singulariki-task-14011,
  title  = {Select and install cutting tools and other accessories according to specifications, using hand tools or power tools.},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/tasks/task-14011}
}