Metallics JDS162SS 8 x 1-1/4 in. 1/4 Indented Hex Head Slotted Sharp Point Tapping Screws - 18-8 Stainless - Each

Both. The JDS162SS has an indented hex head with a slot, so you can run it with a 1/4 inch hex driver or finish it by hand with a flat blade. Head width measures 0.244 to 0.25 in. and width across corners is 0.272 in., so a 1/4 in. magnetic nutsetter seats on it. The slot is 0.045 to 0.054 in. wide and 0.052 to 0.066 in. deep, which suits a standard cabinet-tip flat screwdriver rather than a wide blade.

The JDS162SS is a Type A tapping screw with a gimlet (sharp) point, so it starts itself in thin sheet metal and sheet-metal-gauge electrical enclosures without a drilled pilot. In heavier stock, drill a pilot. Thread pitch is 15 threads per inch to the ASME B18.6.4 thread standard, so it cuts a coarse thread for sheet goods rather than a machine thread.

You can, but watch the dissimilar metals. Fastening 18-8 stainless parts to aluminum or steel can set up a galvanic couple and corrode in some environments, particularly wet or coastal exposure. Where that matters, isolate the joint or use a fastener matched to the base metal. In dry interior electrical work the 18-8 stainless material is chosen for corrosion resistance and is fine.

No. The JDS162SS is not Buy American compliant and is not ARRA compliant; country of origin is listed as multiple. On a federally funded job with domestic sourcing requirements, you'll need a domestic fastener instead.

They ship in a jar, with a 100 piece order minimum. One jar is the smallest quantity, so plan the job around hundreds rather than a handful.

It is a #8 diameter screw, 1-1/4 in. long, with an indented hex washer-style head. Head height runs 0.096 to 0.11 in. and the washer face outside diameter is 0.322 to 0.348 in. with a thickness of 0.019 to 0.031 in. That washer face spreads the bearing load, so it holds thin sheet and strap without pulling through, and it lets the head bridge a slightly oversized hole.

Hardness is Rockwell C28-38, which is the case range Type A tapping screws need to form threads in sheet stock without the point rolling over. Dimensionally the head conforms to ASME B18.6.3-2010.

It is a general fastening screw for the electrical, plumbing, and heating and air conditioning trades, used for mounting straps, clips, covers, and sheet metal components. The hex-and-slot head is the reason: an electrician can drive it with a nutsetter overhead and still back it out with a flat blade in a tight panel.

A jar is listed at 0.71 lbs, with jar dimensions of 3 x 2.15 x 3 in. Light enough to carry several sizes on the truck without eating load.