Metallics JTEK14PSS 8 x 1 in. Pan Head Phillips Self-Drilling & Tapping Screws - #2 Drill Point - 410 Stainless Steel - Each

The JTEK14PSS is a Type BSD self-drilling and tapping screw, meaning the drill point cuts the hole and the thread taps it in one pass, no pilot hole. That is the choice for sheet metal, strut, panel enclosures, and metal stud work in the 0.035 to 0.100 inch range. A plain self-tapper needs a pre-drilled hole and is the better pick when you are fastening into an existing hole or into thicker stock than a #2 point will cut.

410 stainless is the material used on the JTEK14PSS, and it is the grade used for self-drillers because it can be hardened enough to cut its own hole (Rockwell C38-46 here). It gives better corrosion resistance than plain carbon steel for damp, exterior, or coastal-adjacent work, but 410 is a martensitic stainless and is less corrosion resistant than 300-series stainless. For continuous saltwater exposure, spec a 300-series screw with a hardened carbon steel drill tip instead.

It stands proud. A pan head is a non-countersunk head, and on the JTEK14PSS it measures 0.306 to 0.322 inch across with a head height of 0.105 to 0.115 inch. That gives you bearing surface on sheet metal, which is what you want for mounting plates, straps, and brackets, but it is not for flush applications. If the fastener must finish flush, use a flat head self-driller with a countersunk prep.

The JTEK14PSS is flagged ARRA compliant and Buy American compliant, which is what a public-works or federally funded project submittal looks for on fasteners. Country of origin is listed as multiple.

Two apply: ASME B18.6.3-2010 for head and recess dimensions, and SAE J78-2013 for the thread and drill screw requirements. Torsional strength is 42 lb-in minimum. Note that SAE J78 contains no specification for #7 diameter drill screws, so a submittal calling out that diameter cannot be matched to the standard.

A #2 Phillips bit. The head is a pan head with a Phillips recess 0.175 inch in diameter, calling for a #2 driver. Keep the bit seated and run at moderate speed with firm pressure; a worn #2 bit is the usual cause of cam-out on hardened stainless drillers.

No. Minimum torques are the same for stainless and steel self-drill screws, so set your screw gun clutch the same way you would for a carbon steel driller. The JTEK14PSS carries a 42 lb-in minimum torsional strength, so the limit is bit engagement and speed, not the material.