Metallics JTS59 14 x 1 in. Pan Head Combo Sharp Point Tapping Screws - Steel Zinc - Each

Both work. The JTS59 has a combination slotted/Phillips recess, so you can drive it with a flat blade or a Phillips bit. For the Phillips side use a #3 driver, matched to the 0.274 inch recess diameter and a recess gaging depth of 0.118 to 0.144 inch. The slot runs 0.064 to 0.075 inch wide and 0.06 to 0.085 inch deep, so a standard medium cabinet blade seats properly. On a cordless driver, the #3 Phillips gives far better engagement than the slot for repeat work.

A Type A tapping screw with a gimlet (sharp) point is made to start its own hole in thin sheet material, so in light-gauge steel, sheet metal boxes and similar thin stock it taps as it drives. In heavier or harder material you still want a pilot hole, because the point is designed for thin-section penetration, not for drilling. The JTS59 carries 10 threads per inch on a #14 diameter, 1 inch long, with a minimum torsional strength of 125 lb-in, so it has reasonable margin against snapping when it is driven into a properly sized pilot.

No. The JTS59 is listed as not Buy American compliant and not ARRA compliant, with country of origin recorded as multiple. If your contract carries Buy America or ARRA domestic sourcing language, this screw will not satisfy it and you need a domestically sourced fastener.

It stands proud. A pan head is a non-countersunk head that bears on the surface, and the JTS59 head is 0.156 to 0.169 inch high with a head diameter of 0.457 to 0.476 inch. If you need the fastener flush or recessed, a pan head is the wrong choice and you want a flat or oval countersunk head instead. Where the broad bearing surface helps is clamping sheet metal, straps, and clamps without pulling through.

These are carbon steel with a zinc finish, which is a dry-location and indoor-protected plating. Zinc plated steel will corrode in weather exposure, washdown areas, or chemical environments. Keep the JTS59 to interior work, panel and box mounting, strut and strap fastening indoors. For outdoor or damp locations use a stainless or hot dip galvanized fastener instead.

Metallics lists the JTS59 for electrical, plumbing, heating and air conditioning work. In practice that is sheet metal duct and plenum assembly, mounting straps and clamps, attaching covers and plates to enclosures, and general light-gauge metal fastening. The #14 diameter at 10 threads per inch is a coarse, aggressive thread, so it is the heavier end of what MRO crews keep on the truck rather than a small cabinet screw.