Why do power drills have R and L?

[Andrew]

But not a boat tiller

Except for those that are not (for a reason).

[NY]

True, but both of those operate at the back of the boat/plane so have to move in the opposite sense - as seen from above, the shaft of the rudder flap has to move anti-clockwise to make the boat/plane turn right (starboard). It's the same as for a road vehicle (eg dumper truck) that has rear-wheel steering.

If the rudder flap was at the front (in the direction of travel) then it would move clockwise and to the same side as you wanted the boat/plane to turn.

Was there a good reason why rudders on ships were always at the back rather than the front, or was it a case that long ago it was easier to design a ship with the rudder at the back and all subsequent designs have followed that initial trend which was then used for planes as well.

[rbowman]

Chrysler used left handed lug nuts on one side of the car. The studs usually had a 'L' stamped on the end. It was easy to read after you snapped it off going the wrong way.

There is an explanation about the direction of wheel rotation loosening the nuts that probably goes back to a single spindle nut holding the wheel on. Other manufacturers used them but Chrysler was the last holdout on passenger cars afaik.

[T i m]

<snip>

<snip>

I think it's a mix of all sorts of reasons, like:

If you are steering say a barge (even horse drawn) it's easier to do so from the stern because then you can see the entire vessel whilst looking forward.

If it's a sailing vessel then the mast is normally set forward and so the centre of effort, so any lea-boards / keel and so the rudder works best at the stern (longer lever).

If it's a prop driven vessel then you also get steering when not under way because of the effect of the prop pushing water over the rudder and again, props are typically at the rear (ignoring bow thrusters or specialist vessels or transmission types, like Voith-Schneider or AziPods etc).

Even a (water)jet driven boat steers the thrust at the transom. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[Mark Lloyd]

I looked at 3 drills, no R and L. All 3 had arrows. R and L sound like a really bad idea.

[Mark Lloyd]

[snip]

Those words are becoming less useful, now that more people don't use analog clocks.

I often do use "right" and "left" that way, although it IS ambiguous (PART is going right and an equal part is going left).

Also, I have 3 drills. All are marked with arrows, no R and L.

[The Natural Philosopher]

The layout of a plane is to have the engine in front so it doesnt crush you in a crash

The stability criteria are not satisfied by having tailplanes at the front. Think throwing a dart backwards.

Birds naturally evolved that way and planes mostly copied then

I imagine its similar for boats

[Mark Lloyd]

I think the triangle is an alert. The other could mean "machine wash".

Also, the sign for parking used to be E (could be 2 parking places). It must have been too confusing, so that was changed to P.

[Sam E]

People expect you to be primarily verbal, and don't care if you're not. It is NOT the direction of rotation, but which side of the lever to push (like they were buttons).

"push the lever left" is the wrong way to say it. It's "push the RIGHT side of the lever".

[NY]

Most analogue gauges also use clockwise to indicate an increase in a quantity. I think every car I've owned has had the minor gauges (eg temp, fuel) with the high temp / full tank to the clockwise or right of the low temp / empty tank, and certainly the speedo and rev counter have been that way round. However I do recall seeing a car that had some gauges calibrated backwards.

Even after analogue clocks have gone out of fashion, analogue gauges in cars are still far more common than digital, even if in some cases the needle is replaced by a ring of LEDs which light up in sequence to indicate the "needle" position.

I wonder if we will ever get to a stage where *all* analogue displays (clocks, car gauges etc) are things of the past, and few people know what "clockwise" means.

I've just remembered: I've got a clock that is calibrated and runs anti-clockwise. It's for Old Peculier [sic] beer, so it's inevitable that it is designed to run in a peculiar direction, as a gimmick.

[Mark Lloyd]

[snip]

Better than R and L, but I find the arrows better than either. Quicker to understand than translating letters/words.

BTW, my drills have straight arrows (for forward and reverse).

[Mark Lloyd]

[snip]

That's what I usually do. I hadn't noticed any markings until just now, after reading this thread when I noticed the arrows.

[Mark Lloyd]

The older ones. The newer (OPD) ones are forward threaded (although they have the old-style threads inside).

Another thing that is reverse-threaded is the wheel nuts on one side of a vehicle (apparently so the forward movement of the vehicle tightens them).

[T i m]

<snip>

Except for pusher prop planes and passenger jests with the engines on the tail?

Except for all the canard controlled planes / (fighter / passenger) jets?

Except for one of the first aircraft, the "Wright Flyer" that also had elevation control at the front? ;-(

Except if we had copied many fish we would have done the steering from the front (like ailerons / pectral fins).

Cheers, T i m

[T i m]

Whilst people don't, as it wristwatches (using their mobile phones instead), many public clocks are still analogue, as are most domestic wall clocks (as opposed to bedside clock / alarms possibly) and so being able to read one is still pretty important (along with knowing your left from right etc).

It still amazes me now many people don't (*instinctively* especially) know their left from right, or clockwise / anticlockwise (even if they don't have an analogue wristwatch).

I guess it's like knowing the points of the compass, maybe something you only ever learned if you went outside (pre GPS's) or were a sailor etc?

How many kids these days would know what a bowline was, let alone know how to make one [1]? ;-(

Cheers, T i m

[1] With one hand, in a swell, in the dark. ;-)

[Commander Kinsey]

I'm not the idiot that needs to use R and L to describe rotation.

[Commander Kinsey]

Yes, a synonym for moron.

[Commander Kinsey]

One side of the soap for your arse and one for your face? Way too close together.

[Commander Kinsey]

Except sometimes running it the wrong way damages what you're working on.

[Commander Kinsey]

What on earth made you want to say "dry bum f*ck"? Is your apprentice gay or something?