Metallics JTS18M 8 x 1/2 in. Pan Head Phillips Sharp Point Tapping Screws - Steel Zinc - Each

Type A is a sharp gimlet point sheet metal screw. It cuts its own thread as it drives into thin sheet steel, so you drill or punch a pilot and drive straight in without tapping. On the JTS18M that means sheet metal enclosures, device box mounting, strut and strap work, and light-gauge stud attachment. It is not the screw for thick plate or structural steel, and it is not a drill point screw, you still need a hole.

The JTS18M is carbon steel with a plain zinc finish, which is an indoor and dry-location plating. It resists handling corrosion and dry interior humidity, but zinc plate on steel will rust in exterior, damp, or washdown environments. For those, specify stainless or hot dip galvanized sheet metal screws instead.

The JTS18M #8 x 1/2 in. tapping screw ships in jar packaging with a 1,000-piece order minimum, so you are buying a full thousand-count jar rather than a small blister card. Jar weight is listed at 3.2 lbs. That quantity suits panel shops and electrical crews doing repetitive box and strap work rather than a one-off repair.

A #2 Phillips bit. The recess measures 0.169 to 0.182 in. diameter at 0.108 in. depth, which is the standard #2 Phillips profile, so a worn #1 will cam out and a #3 will not seat. If you are running these off a screwgun on a thousand-piece jar, put in a fresh #2 bit.

Head width runs 0.306 to 0.322 in. with a head height of 0.105 to 0.115 in. A pan head bears on the surface rather than sinking, so it seats flat on top of sheet metal but will not sit flush in a countersunk hole. If the assembly needs a flush face, use a flat head screw instead.

Dimensions follow ASME B18.6.3-2013 and the thread conforms to ASME B18.6.4, with steel per AISI 1016 to 1024. Thread count is 15 threads per inch on the #8. Those are the citations a submittal reviewer looks for on a fastener spec, though note that #9 diameter screws in the JTS range are dimensioned independently of ASME B18.6.4.

The JTS18M is flagged compliant for both ARRA and Buy American in the product record, with country of origin listed as China. On a federally funded project, hand both of those facts to whoever is reviewing your submittal, because the compliance path for a fastener depends on the specific clause in your contract.

Yes. The JTS series is stocked in other diameters and lengths beyond the #8 x 1/2 in., and in other quantities, available by request. If you need a longer grip for stacked sheet or a heavier #10 or #12 shank, ask for the equivalent JTS part rather than forcing the 1/2 in. length.