Metallics JDS152 8 x 1/2 in. 1/4 Indented Hex Head Slotted Sharp Point Tapping Screws - Steel Zinc - Each

Type A tapping screws like the Metallics JDS152 are made for light metal assembly: electrical outlets and device boxes, metal framing, and general sheet metal. The gimlet (sharp) point starts in thin sheet steel without a pilot hole and forms its own thread as it drives.

Either one. The head is an indented hex with a slot, so a 1/4 inch hex driver or nutsetter works in open areas and a flat blade handles tight spots. Head width across flats runs 0.244 to 0.250 in. and across corners 0.272 in., so a standard 1/4 in. nutsetter seats on it. Slot width is 0.045 to 0.054 in. with a 0.052 to 0.066 in. depth, which suits a small flat tip rather than a wide cabinet blade.

No. The JDS152 is not Buy American compliant and is not ARRA compliant, with country of origin listed as multiple. For federally funded work with domestic sourcing requirements, you will need a domestically produced fastener instead.

A 1/2 in. length is the usual working length for fastening into sheet metal of box-gauge thickness, where only a few threads are needed. At 15 threads per inch, a 1/2 in. #8 gives roughly seven threads of engagement. If you are going through stacked brackets, plaster rings, or thicker built-up metal, step up to a longer length in the same JDS series.

It ships as a jar of 100, and 100 is the order minimum. If you need a different count or a different size in the same indented hex slotted sharp point style, other sizes and quantities are available by request.

The JDS152 is carbon steel with a zinc finish, which is a dry-location and indoor-grade coating. It is fine inside enclosures, framing, and sheet metal assemblies, but for wet, exterior, or corrosive environments specify a stainless fastener instead. Base material is AISI 1016 to 1024 steel.

Case hardened to Rockwell C28-38 with a minimum torsional strength of 39 lb-in, so they tolerate powered driving in sheet metal. The limit is torque, not speed: once the head seats, keep driving and you will twist the shank off or strip the formed thread. Set the clutch and stop at seating.

The head and body dimensions are built to ASME B18.6.3-2010 and the threads to ASME B18.6.4. One caveat for spec work: dimensions for #9 diameter sizes in this family fall outside ASME B18.6.4, so if your submittal calls out a #9 note that exception. The #8 covered here is within standard.

In thin sheet metal, no. The gimlet point pierces and the Type A thread forms its own mating thread as it goes. In heavier gauge or stacked metal a pilot hole keeps the screw from walking and reduces driving torque. These are not self-drilling screws, so for thick steel use a self-drilling point instead.

Yes, the indented hex head carries a washer face with an outside diameter of 0.322 to 0.348 in. and a thickness of 0.019 to 0.031 in. That bearing surface spreads the clamp load on thin sheet metal and helps the head sit flat without dishing the panel.

Head height on the indented hex runs 0.096 to 0.110 in., plus the washer face thickness of 0.019 to 0.031 in. That is a low profile for a hex head, but it still stands proud of the sheet, so it is not a substitute for a flat head screw where a cover or plate must sit flush.