Metallics JDS174V 12 x 2 in. 5/16 Indented Hex Head Slotted Sharp Point Tapping Screws - Steel Zinc - Each

The JDS174V is sold in a jar of 500 screws, and 500 count is the order minimum. Plan quantities in multiples of that jar rather than by the piece.

Yes. The JDS174V is a Type A tapping screw with a gimlet (sharp) point, so it forms its own thread in a drilled or punched pilot hole in sheet metal. Thread pitch is 11 threads per inch to the ASME B18.6.4 thread standard, which is the coarse spacing Type A screws use for thin gauge material. It is not a machine screw and should not be run into a tapped hole.

The JDS174V is flagged compliant for both Buy American and ARRA, which is what a public agency or school district submittal usually asks for. Country of origin is listed as multiple. Dimensionally the screw is built to ASME B18.6.3-2010 with threads to ASME B18.6.4.

The head takes a 5/16 in. hex socket or driver, and it is also slotted so a flat blade works for hand starting or tight spots. Across the flats the head measures 0.305 to 0.312 in. and 0.34 in. across the corners, so a nominal 5/16 socket seats correctly. The slot runs 0.056 to 0.067 in. wide and 0.077 to 0.093 in. deep.

It does. The JDS174V head has a washer section with an outside diameter of 0.398 to 0.432 in. and a thickness of 0.022 to 0.039 in., which spreads the clamp load over a wider footprint than a plain hex head. Overall head height is 0.139 to 0.155 in., so it sits low against the work surface.

The JDS174V is carbon steel with a zinc finish, which handles normal indoor and protected conditions. Zinc plating is not a marine or sustained-wet coating, so for direct weather exposure, coastal air, or wash-down areas, step up to a stainless or hot-dip galvanized fastener instead.

Minimum torsional strength is 83 lb-in, with the screw heat treated to Rockwell C28-38 from AISI 1016-1024 steel. That is the figure to set an impact or clutch driver against. Over-driving past it is what shears heads on sheet metal work.

Grip length is the thing to check. The JDS174V is a 2 in. long #12 screw, so roughly all of that length threads through once the head seats. Fastening a strap or box to a single layer of sheet metal leaves most of the screw protruding behind the material. Use it where you are passing through furring, insulation, or stacked layers; for direct box-to-stud work a shorter #12 in the same JDS indented hex head slotted line is the better call.

A full 500 count jar runs 8.15 lbs, with the container measuring 7.25 in. by 4.5 in. by 4.5 in. Useful if you are staging multiple jars on a cart or figuring a van load for a multi-unit punch list.

Yes. The JDS line covers other diameters, lengths, and pack quantities beyond the #12 x 2 in. JDS174V, available by request. One note on sizing: dimensions for the #9 diameter in this family are independent of ASME B18.6.4, so if you are specifying #9 do not assume the standard's thread table applies.