Metallics JQK15WV 8 x 1 in. 1/4 Hex Head Slotted Sharp Point Self-Piercing & Tapping Screws - Gray - Steel Zinc - Each

No pre-drilling. The JQK15WV is a sharp point self-piercing and tapping screw, so it pierces thin sheet metal and forms its own thread as it drives. Twin lead threads cut the driving torque, and the steel runs Rockwell C28-38 hardness from AISI 1018-1022 stock, which is what lets the point bite without a pilot hole.

Thread engagement is the thing to check. The screw is a #8 diameter, 1 inch long, with 15 threads per inch, and there's an undercut beneath the head that gives more usable thread length than a standard tapping screw head would. For thin-gauge sheet you want at least a couple of threads through the back side, so measure your stack-up against the 1 inch length.

The record flags the JQK15WV as both ARRA compliant and Buy American compliant, with country of origin China. On federally funded work, confirm which standard your contract actually invokes, because the compliance flag and the origin need to line up with your spec language.

Two options on the same screw. The head is a hex measuring 0.244 to 0.25 inches across, so a 1/4 inch hex driver or socket seats on it, and the head is also slotted (slot width 0.045 to 0.054 inches, depth 0.052 to 0.074 inches) so a standard flat blade works in tight spots where a socket won't fit.

They sell in a jar of 500 count, which is the order minimum. The jar weighs 2.7 lbs.

Yes, there's an integral washer face with an outside diameter of 0.322 to 0.348 inches and a thickness of 0.019 to 0.031 inches. Head height is 0.096 to 0.11 inches. That washer OD is what spreads load on thin sheet and covers a slightly oversized or elongated hole.

The JQK15WV is steel with a zinc finish. Zinc plating handles indoor and dry electrical work, panel and enclosure fastening, duct and bracket attachment. For direct weather exposure, standing moisture, or coastal air, step up to stainless or a hot-dip galvanized fastener instead.

Treat them as a guide, not a hard tolerance. There is no single industry standard for self-piercing screw dimensions, and self-piercing heads differ from standard tapping screw heads, so the stated head width of 0.244 to 0.25 inches and washer OD of 0.322 to 0.348 inches may deviate from lot to lot. If your detail is tight, verify against a sample.

Model JQK15WV is the #8 x 1 inch configuration, 1/4 hex slotted head, sharp point, zinc over steel. Metallics makes other sizes and quantities in the series on request if you need a different length or diameter for the same application.