What is Left vs Right in Furniture construction?

[leehljp]

I am having a senior moment/week and would appreciate an answer on what is the correct way to label sections of a knock-down set of book cases that I am making. Being in Japan does not help my senior moments!


What is the correct way to label sides:
1. With me Facing the furniture and labeling left and right;
or
2. The actual sides as it relates to itself as a piece of furniture? (OK - judged if you are facing in the same direction as the furniture.)


The major sections of book case sets that I am making - are put together with screws and bolts. I want to label them for ease of assembly in the future. (They will be broken down for transport back to the States in a little over a year.)

Thanks!

[LCHIEN]

I would say your choice 1 - as you face the furniture, the left side of the bookcase is on your left.

[Tom Slick]

That's a good question.
In the mechanical world it's how it's used in operation, i.e. on cars and airplanes left and right are the driver's/pilot's L/R as they sit in the seat. Even when you are standing at the front facing the rear the engine's left is the driver's left (mechanic's right)
Confusing enough?
Is a chair's left the "sitter's" left or left as you face it? I would think a book case's left would be left as you face it.(?)

What about marking them A, B, C... instead of L/R?

[herb fellows]

No special knowledge, but lacking that I would say it is as you are facing it.

[Mr__Bill]

I think I would tend to label the right as being very conservative furniture.


I have always, or at least sense I was in collage, used stage right or house right as my reference points, that is from the point of view of the participant. The only participant is you as you build, assemble and disassemble the furniture. Thus it would be your right and left.



Bill, speaking to you from the past.....

[Norm in Fujino]

I ran into this very issue this summer when building my settee. I initially decided to label everything from the perspective of someone facing the settee from the front, so I wrote letters on the legs, like LR meant "Left Rear" while RF meant "Right-Front"; but somewhere during the construction, I got confused and couldn't remember whether I'd decided to label things from the perspective of the viewer or the sitter, and it really got a bit weird. I finally figured it out and had to actually write myself a note in the plans, telling myself what the letters meant!

[pelligrini]

I've had several discussions with another co-worker about 'left side elevation' and 'right side elevation'. Might have to bring it up again if the day is slow..

It is general practice that the left side is as you would view the object facing the front, or working on the piece.

[LarryG]

It is general practice that the left side is as you would view the object facing the front, or working on the piece.

Agreed. Same system as doors ... as you face a door, if it's hinged on the right side and swings open to the right, it's a right-hand door (or right-hand reverse, if it swings toward you). Vice-versa for left-hand.

[pelligrini]

Ugh... doors. I pass door submittal reviews and schedules to someone else.

[cabinetman]

It's a common practice in KD drawings to call left/right as you see it. In architectural drawings each view is labeled. An elevation drawing would have a symbol that would match the direction of view in the plan view drawing. For example: "ELEVATION" (with a number or letter). A triangle (pointing) with the same identifier as the elevation for the plan view showing the direction of view. Left and right is how it's seen.

But, if you make a quick sketch of your project and mark it up with either numbers or letters, make notes which way you intended the orientation.
.

[leehljp]

. . . but somewhere during the construction, I got confused and couldn't remember whether I'd decided to label things from the perspective of the viewer or the sitter, and it really got a bit weird. I finally figured it out and had to actually write myself a note in the plans, telling myself what the letters meant!

Hello Norm! Ohisashiburi! Your comment is the very reason I asked this. The book case set will be for my daughter, who asked for a book case set about 5 years ago. The Cases are 7' 2" tall and as such, the size would necessitate breaking down for shipping back to the US. Also I want my daughter to be able to put it back together if I can't.

I am thinking about just doing what Tom and Cab suggested with a twist: label A, B, C, and use colored markers for matching points. Red, Blue, for book case 1; Green, Black for book case 2.


On this same subject, back about 35 years ago, an auto bodyshop owner/friend (Hosie) would ask me to help him out when he got behind, (because I was good with tearing things down ). He had a retired man that would go get parts for him. On a couple of occasions, Hosie told Simpson (the retired man) simply, I need this fender. Simpson would stand in front of the car, face it, and write down: Need 1 left side front fender for . . .

When Simpson returned with the wrong fender, you could hear Hosie swear a blue streak! This happened more than once!

[phrog]

I think that in baseball, left field is from the homeplate umpire's point of view, not the left-fielder's. Speakers (audio, not political) are labeled left and right as you face them. Therefore, I would vote that left or right for furniture would be as you face the furniture.
Richard

[Norm in Fujino]

Hello Norm! Ohisashiburi!

Hello, Hank, definitely gobusata itashimashita.

For a different perspective (literally) on the direction theme, in theater, "stage left" and "stage right" are from the actors' pov, not that of the viewer in the audience, so a person familiar with that terminology could easily get mixed up when doing woodworking.

[pelligrini]

I try use driver side and passenger side for autos most of the time.

PS: why aren't italics showing up?

You've got the / in the wrong place it goes before the BB code like: /I

[Norm in Fujino]

I try use driver side and passenger side for autos most of the time.



You've got the / in the wrong place it goes before the BB code like: /I

Oya! Right, thanks!