Metallics JTEKD4M 10 x 1/2 in. 1/4 Indented Hex Head Self-Drilling & Tapping Screws with Washer - #2 Drill Point - Steel Zinc - Each

The JTEKD4M is rated for panel thickness of 0.035 to 0.110 in. That covers typical light-gauge steel studs, strut, raceway and sheet metal enclosures. Go thicker than 0.110 in and you need a heavier drill point than the #2 point on this screw.

No. It is a Type BSD self-drilling and tapping screw with a #2 drill point, so it cuts its own hole and forms its own thread in one pass within the 0.035 to 0.110 in panel range. No pilot hole, no tapping step.

Hex drive, with an indented hex washer head measuring 0.305 to 0.312 in across the flats and 0.34 in across corners. That is a standard 5/16 in nut setter. No bit tip, no cam-out.

It is 16 threads per inch, UNC form, in a #10 diameter by 1/2 in length. The screw taps its own mating thread as it drills, so holding power comes from the formed thread in the panel rather than a nut. With a 1/2 in length, keep total fastened material inside the 0.035 to 0.110 in panel range plus whatever you are attaching, so enough thread engages past the drill flutes.

No separate washer is required. The washer is integral to the head, with an outside diameter of 0.384 to 0.414 in and a washer thickness of 0.019 to 0.031 in. That spreads load over thin sheet without a loose part to handle overhead.

Minimum torsional strength is 61 lb-in, with case hardness at Rockwell C32-40 on AISI 1016-1024 steel. Set your impact or screwgun clutch below that figure. Metallics notes minimum torques are the same for stainless and steel self-drill screws, and drill time runs about 2.5 seconds in a 1 mm plate.

Steel with a zinc finish, silver in appearance. Zinc plating is for interior and protected use, so it suits enclosures, strut, studs and raceway indoors. For direct weather exposure, wet locations or coastal air, specify a stainless self-drilling screw instead.

The JTEKD4M is flagged Buy American compliant and ARRA compliant in Metallics' data, with country of origin listed as multiple. Dimensions conform to ASME B18.6.3-2010 and threads to SAE J78-2013, which are the standards a submittal reviewer will look for on a drill screw.

They ship in a jar of 1,000, which is the order minimum. The packed jar weighs 4.6 lbs and measures 5.75 in by 3.5 in by 3.5 in, so it stores easily on a service truck.

It stands proud. The indented hex washer head is 0.105 to 0.12 in tall and seats on top of the material, so leave clearance where a cover plate or panel has to lay flat against the surface. For flush work you want a flat head or a trim head screw, not this one.