G02 vs G03: Why Your Arc Is Cutting the Wrong Way

G02 vs G03 explained for real shop work: arc direction in circular interpolation, why your G02 arc cuts the wrong way, the viewing-axis rule for G17 G18 G19, and when to use IJK instead of R for circular moves. If your radius cut the wrong side of the part — or you've ever wondered why CW becomes CCW on a lathe — this is the rule nobody taught you. Chapters: 00:00 The wrong-side arc cut 00:35 G02 / G03 — clockwise from whose view? 01:15 G17, G18, G19 and the viewing axis 02:00 Why lathes flip your intuition 02:45 R vs IJK — where the sign trap lives 03:40 Full circles, decision tree, the habit 05:00 The takeaway + subscribe If this was useful, the G54 work-coordinate video covers why your first part scraps even when the G-code is perfect — same root cause family, different symptom. ShopFloorIQ — plain-English decoding for the people running the machines. — — — 🔧 Tool & machine buyer's guides for machinists, written by operators: https://print3dflow.com/guides/ • Best gifts for a CNC machinist under $100 • Best CNC machine for a small shop • Best CNC lathe for the home shop • Best CNC mill for precision + production work • Best fiber laser for metal engraving Real pros/cons, real price tiers, no fluff.