this post was submitted on 13 Oct 2024
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The world has a lot of different standards for a lot of things, but I have never heard of a place with the default screw thread direction being opposite.

So does each language have a fun mnemonic?

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[–] 418_im_a_teapot 37 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (10 children)

This phrase has never made any sense to me. It’s a circle. If one side is moving right, then the opposite side is moving left. So the phrase only makes sense if you specify which side we are talking about, which nobody ever does. Therefore it’s completely illogical to me while everyone else just gets it. Side note: Autism can be a real bitch sometimes.

Edit:

  1. Some people don’t understand how I can see a problem. That’s cool, but don’t be a dick. We all look at the world through different lenses.
  2. This is when I was a kid “helping” my grandfather in the garage. I’m older now and understand that “righty tighty” references the top of the rotation.
  3. Some people rotate their perspective 90° and imagine themselves standing on the screw. Therefore when your face rotates to the right the screw is tightened. I hadn’t ever thought of that. But I had imagined rotating my perspective 90° the other direction –the top of my head as a screwdriver. In that case, “lefty tighty”
[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Clockwise and counterclockwise may be more intuitive for some people. Is the clock-hand (wrench) going forward in time, or backwards. But I don't know of any quick rhyme for that

[–] 418_im_a_teapot 2 points 1 month ago

Yes, that verbiage makes way more sense.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 month ago

If you're looking head on to the screw/nut/whatever then we're talking about the top of the screw/but/whatever.

You can also imagine if the nut was actually a wheel. Which way would you spin it to make it roll left or right.

Confused the hell out of me at a young age. That's how I came around to thinking of it

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago (4 children)

Don't think about it in 3d space.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)

They mean is the wrench handle moving left from the 12 o'clock position or left from the 6 o'clock position. You would not believe how many people struggle with lefty righty because of start location.

I defer to clockwise and counter-clockwise (anti-clockwise in UK). Except for new gen that never learned analog clock stuggles with this concept also.

Then they encounter a Left Hand thread and the universe implodes

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Shit, a standard thread feels natural to me, but a left hand thread still fucks my life up sometimes — trying to notice what's going on before I strip it.

My grill can connect to those camping propane tanks, but it's threaded opposite... gets me every time

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

I have left-hand threaded fittings on a few things and always say to myself aloud "This is reverse-threaded" before I attempt to turn them then still fuck up first turn. It doesn't stop me from fucking it up the first time - it just helps me remember why.

When I train new people on this equipment I tell them to say it aloud, show them, still fuck up the first turn, then they laugh.

Then I have them do it in front of me including saying it aloud - and they fuck up the first turn...

When you've been doing something unconsciously for decades it's really hard to break.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

I think it was old Chryslers had opposite lugnuts, I can only imagine how many stripped threads happened

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

I love how half the people in this thread are under-thinking it and don't seem to understand they're doing so. I wonder whether it's a bit.

[–] 418_im_a_teapot 2 points 1 month ago

I assure you I’m only thinking of it in two dimensions.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago

I agree but there is a intuitive way once you are holding it. I remember looking at a car wheel and the signal lever not understanding how do people decided that up on the lever means right. Yeah it's connected to the wheel rotation but why turning the wheel clockwise means turning right? When I actually sat on the driver seat there was an instinct.For most people It's more logical to look at the "top" of the circle and corelate it's movement with turning left/right.

A thing that annoyed me is when table top games use a non determinist way to define player order. It always depends on the observer.alIf you just say "then the you pass your turn to the left", what left? From my perspective; from the top down perspective translating it to counterclockwise? From the tables perspective which is the opposite?

[–] blockheadjt 4 points 1 month ago

I used to feel the same way. If you're talking about the direction you're moving your hand, it assumes your hand is above, not below.

Had a similar hangup with less than/greater than symbols.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago

If it were a wheel which way would it roll?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I remember when my grandpa was like why not just keep going? I was pulling the ratchet end of the wrench off the bolt at the bottom.. I said but that side is left and he laughed and said its just to get you started and told me the clock thing. Dont ever ask me to put a nut on a bolt I will cross thread it every time.

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