Metallics TS65B 14 x 2-1/2 in. Pan Head Slotted Sharp Point Tapping Screws - Steel Zinc - Each

The Metallics TS65B is a Type A tapping screw with a gimlet (sharp) point, so it starts in sheet metal, soft materials and wood without a blunt-point pilot. Type A thread form is a coarse, widely spaced thread cut to ASME B18.6.4, which is what lets it tap its own mating thread in thin stock. At #14 x 2-1/2 inches it is a long fastener, so it is typically driven into wood framing or heavier substrate rather than thin gauge only.

The TS65B carries both Buy American compliant and ARRA compliant designations in the Metallics product data, which is what a government, school or municipal spec typically asks for on fastener submittals. Country of origin is listed as multiple, so if your contract requires a single named origin on the submittal, that is the detail to pin down with the order.

10 threads per inch. That coarse pitch is what makes a Type A screw hold in sheet metal and soft substrates, and it also means the hole you pre-drill (if any) needs to be sized for a thread-forming screw, not a machine screw.

Slotted drive only, no Phillips or square recess. The slot runs 0.064 to 0.075 inch wide and 0.068 to 0.085 inch deep, so a flat blade sized to that width seats properly. Slotted heads cam out under a power driver more easily than cross recess, so hand driving or a low-speed driver with a flat bit is the usual approach.

Dimensions follow ASME B18.6.3-2013 and the thread form follows ASME B18.6.4. Steel is per AISI 1016 to 1024. One caveat worth knowing on the Metallics JTS tapping screw line: dimensions for the #9 diameter are independent of ASME B18.6.4, so if you are specifying a #9 alongside this #14, do not assume the same dimensional basis.

Steel with a zinc finish. Zinc plating is a mild corrosion coating suited to dry interior work, damp-location boxes and protected exterior conditions. For direct weather exposure, coastal air, treated lumber or wet process areas, specify a stainless or hot-dip galvanized fastener instead, since zinc plate will eventually bloom and the carbon steel core will rust.

They ship as a box of 1,800 pieces, which is the order minimum. Total weight on that box is 48.42 lbs, and it measures 9 x 9 x 6.13 inches, so it is a single-hand carton rather than a pallet item. Other sizes and quantities in the Metallics JTS tapping screw series are available by request.

Metallics part number TS65B, in the JTS tapping screw series. That number covers the #14 diameter, 2-1/2 inch length, pan head, slotted drive, gimlet point screw in zinc plated steel. Shorter and longer lengths in the same series carry different TS numbers, so order by the full TS designation rather than by size description alone.