Metallics JTS10 4 x 1/2 in. Pan Head Combo Sharp Point Tapping Screws - Steel Zinc - Each

The JTS10 uses a gimlet point, which is the sharp, pointed Type A start. In thin sheet metal, such as a device box or a duct flange, it will start and form its own thread without a pilot hole. It is a Type A tapping screw, not a self-drilling point, so in anything thicker or harder you still want a pilot hole sized to the screw.

No. The JTS10 is not Buy American compliant and is not ARRA compliant, with country of origin listed as multiple. If your job carries a domestic sourcing clause, this screw will not satisfy it.

A #1 driver. The JTS10 has a combination recess, so either a #1 Phillips bit or a flat blade will turn it, which is handy when you are working out of a service bag and only have one of the two. The Phillips recess measures 0.115 inch in diameter with a 0.053 to 0.071 inch gaging depth, and the slot runs 0.031 to 0.039 inch wide by 0.027 to 0.04 inch deep.

The JTS10 is a #4 diameter, 1/2 inch long screw aimed at the electrical, plumbing, heating and air conditioning trades. The pan head is 0.205 to 0.219 inch across and 0.07 to 0.08 inch high, so it is a small, low-profile head for light attachment work: fastening thin sheet metal, straps, nameplates, and small brackets. For heavier anchoring you want a larger diameter.

They ship in a jar of 100, and 100 is the order minimum. The jar weighs about 0.2 lbs, so it is an easy item to stock several of on a van or in an MRO crib rather than buying loose.

The JTS10 is carbon steel with a zinc plating, which is a mild indoor corrosion coating. It is fine in dry interior work, panel and box applications, and conditioned mechanical rooms. For wet, exterior, or coastal exposure, choose stainless steel instead of zinc plated steel.

Head and recess dimensions follow ASME B18.6.3-2013 and the thread form follows ASME B18.6.4. The steel is in the AISI 1016 to 1024 range, case hardened to Rockwell C28 to 38, which is the hardness that lets the screw cut its own thread in sheet metal without the point rolling over. One caveat worth knowing: dimensions for the #9 diameter in the JTS family are independent of ASME B18.6.4.

No. The JTS10 is a Type A tapping screw with a gimlet point: it pierces and taps thin sheet, but it has no drill flute at the tip. A self-drilling screw bores its own hole through heavier gauge steel. Use the Type A for light sheet metal, boxes, straps and nameplates; reach for a self-drilling screw when you are going through structural or heavier gauge material.