Hi, my name is Peter, and I’m addicted to Artificial Intelligence (AI). It’s my new best friend. I feel like a kid again. Just talking back and forth with my AI buddy, day after day. OK, seriously, I’m using it more than ever. I’ve found myself more and more going to AI instead of search engines and scrolling to do the research myself. I ask AI to do the heavy legwork for me.
I recently was planning a trip to Italy and was having a full-blown conversation with AI about places to stay in Sardinia. Why one over the other. What my interests were. What I was looking for in a town. After some back and forth, I picked the town I wanted to use as a home base and the trip is booked. I could have done all that with search engines, but it would have just taken longer and more effort.
I figure why not have a conversation with AI about woodworking stuff? Let’s see how that goes. Well… It was cool. I felt like I needed to stop. Like I needed my parents to call me for dinner or something. I could have gone on forever. Here’s a recap of my conversation…
I started by asking what spindle speed and feed rate should I use for a 1/2" compression cutter on a nested CNC router to cut 5/8" two-sided melamine? It went on to give spindle speed recommendations, feed rates, and plunge rates all with explanations. It also explained chip load and gave me the formula to calculate it. In the end, it gave some additional tips on depth of cut, tool quality, dust collection and testing methods to dial in the best feed and spindle speeds. All this in less than five seconds.
I then went on to ask for an explanation of the various edgebanding glues and their pros/cons. Again, it spit out almost instantly some answers… It touched on six different glues and ended with a summary of the suggested best use of each one. Based on the answers, I could have drilled down deeper into more specific use cases or a specific glue type. I chose to move on…
I next asked about assembly methods for kitchen cabinet box parts. It responded with five different joinery types along with their explanations, their pros and their cons. I noticed, it didn’t mention anything about dowels. I found it odd that it skipped one of the most common assembly methods, so I asked: what about dowels? It came back with a description of what they were, the assembly process, the pros/cons and when to consider them perhaps. I didn’t let the little bugger off that easy… I ask: Why didn’t you include this in my previous question? Busted! It came back and said I was right. It should have and it would include a more comprehensive response next time and thanked me for pointing that out.
I then asked about how Canadian woodworkers could stay informed and network in the woodworking industry and it spit out the major Canadian industry magazines, events, and associations. It was kind of eerie seeing those well-known names come up in the response.
None of the answers were perfect, but they did the majority of the work in seconds. I think the key is to continue drilling down into what you are looking for. Keep asking more questions. I probably would have kept going all evening, but the kids are bugging me to make dinner. Must go!
Hey AI, what are some healthy dinner options that a couple of teens would enjoy?
