Metallics JTS15M 6 x 1 in. Pan Head Combo Sharp Point Tapping Screws - Steel Zinc - Each

The JTS15M is a Type A tapping screw with a gimlet (sharp) point, intended for sheet metal work. The sharp point starts in a pre-punched or pre-drilled pilot hole and the 18 threads-per-inch coarse thread forms its own mating thread as it drives. It does not drill its own hole, so if you are going into material with no pilot hole you want a self-drilling (Type TEK) screw instead.

Metallics lists the JTS15M as both Buy American compliant and ARRA compliant. Country of origin is shown as multiple, so if your project requires documented origin on each lot, ask for the cert with the shipment.

Both work. The JTS15M has a combination slotted/Phillips head, so a #2 Phillips bit drives it, and a flat blade fits the slot (0.039 to 0.048 in. wide, 0.033 to 0.05 in. deep). For a 1000-count install, run the #2 Phillips; the slot is there for touch-up or when all you have on the ladder is a flat screwdriver.

These ship in a jar of 1000 screws, and 1000 is the minimum order quantity. The packed jar weighs 3.53 lbs. If you need a smaller count or a different size in the JTS series, Metallics notes other sizes and quantities are available by request.

A pan head sits on the surface, it does not countersink. On the JTS15M the head is 0.256 to 0.27 in. across and 0.087 to 0.097 in. tall, so figure roughly a tenth of an inch of head above the work. If you need it flush with the panel face you want a flat head screw in a countersunk hole instead.

The JTS15M is carbon steel with a zinc plating and a silver finish, which is a dry-interior corrosion coating. It holds up fine in panels, enclosures, device boxes and conditioned spaces. For exterior, wet, coastal or chemical exposure, specify a stainless or hot-dip galvanized tapping screw instead, because zinc plating will eventually rust through in those conditions.