Metallics JTS57 14 x 3/4 in. Pan Head Combo Sharp Point Tapping Screws - Steel Zinc - Each

The JTS57 is a Type A tapping screw with a gimlet (sharp) point, which is the point style made to start in thin sheet metal and form its own thread as it drives. At 10 threads per inch the thread is coarse, which is what gives a Type A screw its bite in light-gauge steel, electrical enclosures, and sheet metal duct. In heavier stock, drill to the screw's root diameter first so you do not exceed the 125 lb-in minimum torsional strength.

Yes. Head and recess dimensions follow ASME B18.6.3-2013, and the thread conforms to ASME B18.6.4, the tapping screw standard. One caveat worth noting on the Metallics JTS line: dimensions for #9 diameter are independent of ASME B18.6.4. The JTS57 is a 14 diameter by 3/4 inch screw, so that exception does not apply to it.

No. The JTS57 is not Buy American compliant and is not ARRA compliant, with multiple countries of origin. On a federally funded or domestic-preference job, source a domestically produced tapping screw instead.

A #3 Phillips driver is the called-for size, and because the JTS57 has a combination Slotted/Phillips recess you can also back it out or set it with a flat blade. The Phillips recess measures 0.274 inch across with a gaging depth of 0.118 to 0.144 inch, and the slot runs 0.064 to 0.075 inch wide by 0.06 to 0.085 inch deep, so a standard cabinet-tip flat blade seats fine.

It's carbon steel with a zinc finish, made from AISI 1016 to 1024 steel. Zinc plating handles indoor and protected use, typical of electrical, plumbing, and HVAC work. For sustained wet, coastal, or corrosive exposure, specify a stainless or hot-dip galvanized fastener instead.

Torsional strength is 125 lb-in minimum and the screw is heat treated to Rockwell C28 to 38, which is the case hardness a tapping screw needs to cut its own thread without the point rolling over. Most cordless impact drivers put out well past 125 lb-in, so set the clutch or use a drill on a moderate speed and let the gimlet point do the work rather than driving it home at full torque.

They ship in a jar of 100, which is the order minimum. The jar weighs 1.13 lbs. For an MRO crib or a service van, that is one SKU line per size rather than loose bulk.

They are the general-purpose attachment screw for electrical, plumbing, and heating and air conditioning work: fastening straps, boxes, brackets, plates, and sheet metal panels. The 3/4 inch length suits a thin substrate with room behind it, since a Type A screw needs clearance for the point and the formed thread to pass through. If the back side is tight or the assembly is thicker than the thread engagement you need, step to a shorter or longer length in the same JTS series.