In a conversation on reddit today someone asked if other languages have phrases like "rightie tightie, leftie loosie" to remember which way to turn screws/lids/etc. And one person answers that in Spanish, the phrase is:
"La derecha oprime, la izquierda libera."
or:
"The right oppresses, the left liberates."
(Now I kind of want to put this on a t shirt)
Honestly, "Rightie Tightie, Lefty Loosie" is terrible, because there is still ambiguity. Right from the top of the bolt, or the bottom of the bolt? From your face, or the bolt's face?
There is generally a better frame of reference: Clockwise (and Counter Clockwise), since it's defined already by a standard.
Thus is born, CCW = OFF, CW = ON (unless you have an infernal left-handed screw, but those are quite rare).
Isn't clockwise and counter-clockwise also dependent on what direction you're facing? If you looked at a clear clock from the back, the hands would be spinning counter clockwise, right?
@kwsapphire @atatassault Clockwise describes the direction of rotation of the minute and hour hands across the face. That doesn't change based on your viewing position.
Weird that some folks are wanting to argue this, when written mechanical shop guides use CW / CCW, because it defines the direction force will be applied to an object. The assumption that you aren't going to fix the head of a bolt and rotate the workpiece around it is generally a safe one.
Sarah Becan
AT-AT Assault 🏳️⚧️
Sapphire
jonathanpeterson