Metallics JTS9 6 x 1-1/4 in. Pan Head Phillips Sharp Point Tapping Screws - Steel Zinc - Each

The Metallics JTS9 is a Type A tapping screw with a gimlet (sharp) point, which means it forms its own thread as it drives into sheet metal, thin steel, and similar soft or thin stock. It's the screw used where you want to drive straight into a punched or pilot hole without tapping first. Metallics lists it for electrical, plumbing, and HVAC work, so think box mounting, strap and clamp fastening, duct and sheet metal.

It stands proud. A pan head sits on top of the material, not down into it, and this one measures 0.087 to 0.097 inch in head height with a head width of 0.256 to 0.27 inch. So you get roughly a tenth of an inch of head above the surface and about a quarter inch of bearing diameter holding the part down. If you need the fastener flush, you want a flat or oval head with a countersunk hole instead.

No. The JTS9 is not Buy American compliant and is not ARRA compliant, with country of origin listed as multiple. If your project carries a domestic sourcing clause, you'll need a different fastener line.

A 6 diameter by 1-1/4 inch long pan head Phillips sharp point tapping screw, zinc plated steel. The 1-1/4 inch length is the full screw under the head, so size your stack-up accordingly: with thin sheet steel you'll have most of that length engaging thread.

A #2 Phillips bit. The head is a pan head with a Phillips recess 0.153 to 0.166 inch in diameter and 0.091 inch deep, which is the standard #2 geometry. If you've been running a #1 bit you'll cam out; step up to the #2.

The JTS9 ships in a jar with an order minimum of 100 pieces. That's the pack, so 100 is the smallest quantity. Metallics notes other sizes and quantities are available by request.

18 threads per inch, cut to ASME B18.6.4, the thread standard for tapping screws. That coarse Type A thread with a gimlet point is what lets it bite and hold in thin gauge sheet without a tapped hole. Note Metallics states that dimensions for the #9 diameter are independent of ASME B18.6.4, while the head and drive dimensions follow ASME B18.6.3-2013.

The JTS9 carries a minimum torsional strength of 24 lb-in and is hardened to Rockwell C28 to 38 from AISI 1016 to 1024 steel. That's a case hardened tapping screw, so it will tap its own thread, but 24 lb-in is not a lot of head torque. Drive it with a clutched screwgun or dial the impact well back, and stop as soon as the head seats.

The JTS9 is zinc plated steel. Zinc plating handles indoor and incidental moisture fine, which covers most electrical, plumbing, and HVAC interior work it's listed for. For sustained outdoor exposure, washdown areas, or coastal sites, step up to a stainless or hot dip galvanized fastener instead.