Metallics TEK1P5M 8 x 1/2 in. Pan Head Phillips Self-Drilling & Tapping Screws - #2 Drill Point - Steel Zinc - Each

Yes for single-layer attachment. At 1/2 in. overall length with 18 threads per inch, the TEK1P5M is sized to drill and tap one layer of 0.035 to 0.100 in. steel and still get full thread engagement. If you are stacking material, say a bracket plus stud flange, measure your total stack plus a couple of threads of stickout and step up in length.

The TEK1P5M is listed as Buy American compliant and ARRA compliant, with multiple countries of origin. Dimensions conform to ASME B18.6.3-2010 and the thread form to SAE J78-2013, which is the drill screw standard most commercial submittals call out. Note SAE J78 does not cover #7 diameter drill screws, so a #8 like this one is the smallest spec-covered size in the family.

A #2 Phillips bit. The recess is a #2 Phillips with a 0.175 in. recess diameter and a gaging depth of 0.071 to 0.097 in. Run them with a clutch or depth-sensing screwgun, not an impact at full torque, because torsional strength is 42 lb-in minimum and over-driving a #8 drill screw snaps the head off.

Pan head sits on top of the surface, it does not countersink. Head height is 0.105 to 0.115 in. and head width 0.306 to 0.322 in., so you get a broad bearing surface that will not pull through thin sheet, but it stands proud. If you need the fastener below the surface, use a flat or wafer head instead.

These are carbon steel with a zinc plating, which is an indoor and dry-location finish. It handles normal interior construction and concealed work fine, but zinc plate is not a weathering coating. For exterior, coastal, or wet locations, specify stainless or a coated exterior drill screw.

They ship in a box of 5,000, which is the order minimum. That is a bulk production pack for crews doing repetitive metal-to-metal fastening, not a jobsite handful. The packed box weighs 15.82 lbs and measures 7.25 x 6.75 x 3.25 in.

No. The TEK1P5M is a Type BSD self-drilling and tapping screw with a #2 drill point, so it drills its own hole and cuts its own thread in one pass within the 0.035 to 0.100 in. panel range. Keep steady pressure so the point bites instead of work-hardening the steel.

They are case hardened to Rockwell C32-40 with a minimum torsional strength of 42 lb-in, which is what lets the #2 point cut steel instead of burnishing it. Hardened fasteners are also more brittle, so avoid side-loading the screw or driving at an angle.