Metallics JDS176SS 14 x 1 in. 3/8 Indented Hex Head Slotted Sharp Point Tapping Screws - 18-8 Stainless - Each

The JDS176SS is a Type A tapping screw with a gimlet (sharp) point, which is the point style meant for thin sheet metal and starts in a punched or drilled hole without tapping. The threads are a coarse 10 per inch sheet metal thread to ASME B18.6.4, so they form their own mating thread as the screw drives. In heavier gauge or in aluminum extrusion, drill a pilot sized to the root of the thread first.

It can be. 18-8 stainless fastened to aluminum or steel creates a galvanic couple that can corrode in some environments, particularly wet or salt exposure. Indoors and dry, it is routinely done. Outdoors or in a washdown area, isolate the joint or match the fastener material to the substrate.

No. The JDS176SS stainless tapping screws are not Buy American compliant and are not ARRA compliant, with country of origin listed as multiple. On a federally funded project with domestic sourcing language, these will not pass.

Either. The head is an indented hex with a slot cut across it, so a 3/8 inch nut driver or hex socket fits the head, and a flat blade fits the slot when the hex is obstructed. Head width is 0.367 to 0.375 in. across the flats and 0.409 across the corners, with a slot 0.064 to 0.075 wide and 0.083 to 0.101 deep. Head height runs 0.172 to 0.19 in.

Yes, the indented hex head carries an integral washer face measuring 0.480 to 0.520 in. outside diameter and 0.030 to 0.050 in. thick. That spreads the bearing load on thin sheet and in oversized holes, so you generally do not need a separate flat washer.

The screw is 1 in. long overall with the gimlet point consuming the first few threads, so plan on roughly three or more full threads of engagement in the back material after the clamped layer. Hardness is Rockwell C28-38, which is a case suited to forming threads in sheet metal rather than cutting into structural steel. For anything thicker than sheet, step up to a self-drilling or machine screw and nut.

Head geometry follows ASME B18.6.3-2010 and the thread follows ASME B18.6.4. If a submittal calls out a B18.6.4 Type A sheet metal screw with a hex washer head, the JDS176SS answers that call-out. Note that #9 diameter screws in the series are dimensioned independently of B18.6.4.

These #14 x 1 in. stainless tapping screws ship in a jar, with a minimum order of 100 count. That is the standard pull quantity for an electrical or MRO stockroom rather than a bulk box.