Metallics WDS1B 8 x 1/2 in. Wafer Head Phillips Drywall Screws - Steel Zinc - Each

No pre-drilling. The WDS1B is a Type BSD self-drilling and tapping screw with a drill point, so it cuts through the steel and forms its own threads in one pass. It is rated for panel thicknesses in the 0.350 to 0.100 inch range, which covers typical light gauge steel framing. Drill time runs about 2.5 seconds through a 1 mm thick plate.

The drill point on the WDS1B is rated for material from 0.100 up to 0.350 inch thick. That range covers the light gauge steel studs and track used in commercial partition framing as well as heavier strut and angle in mechanical work. Thicker than 0.350 inch and you are past what this point will drill.

No. The WDS1B is not Buy American compliant and is not ARRA compliant, with country of origin listed as multiple. If you are on a federally funded job or a public agency contract carrying domestic sourcing language, this fastener will not satisfy it and you need a domestically produced screw instead.

A #2 Phillips bit drives them, and three power bits ship with the box, so you do not need to buy bits to start the job. The recess is 0.176 to 0.189 inch across and 0.255 inch deep, which is standard #2 Phillips geometry. Worn bits cam out and strip the recess on self-drillers, so keep spares on the cart.

The wafer head is wide and thin, so it spreads clamp load and sits close to flush. Head width runs 0.359 to 0.38 inch with a head thickness of 0.025 to 0.035 inch, which is why it is the head of choice where something has to lay over the fastener afterward, like drywall going over a clip or a strap. A hex washer head grips better with a nut driver but stands proud and telegraphs through board. There is no single industry standard for wafer head dimensions, so treat those numbers as the manufacturer's values rather than a universal spec.

They come boxed at 10,000 pieces, which is the order minimum. That is a jobsite or shop quantity, sized for a crew running metal framing or an electrical contractor stocking a truck for the year, not for a single fixture. Metallics does offer other sizes and quantities in the WDS series by request.

The WDS1B is zinc plated steel, which is an indoor and dry location finish. It handles the incidental humidity of an interior build out, but it is not a coating for exterior framing, roof decks, or anywhere it sees standing water or salt. For wet or exterior work, move to a stainless or a coated exterior rated self-driller.

Yes, that is the intended range for the WDS1B. Metallics lists it for metal-to-metal use across the electrical, plumbing, and heating and air conditioning trades, so one #8 x 1/2 inch screw covers box and bracket mounting, hanger straps, and light sheet metal connections. Keep the base material between 0.100 and 0.350 inch thick and the drill point does the work in all three applications.

Threads are 18 per inch in UNF form, built to SAE J78 - 2013, which is the standard covering steel self-drilling tapping screws. Those threads are cut to tap their own mating thread in sheet steel; this is not a machine screw meant to take a nut. Pair it with the steel it drills, not with hardware.

The box runs 33.25 lbs and measures 9 x 6.13 x 9 inches. That is a single hand carry, worth knowing if you are staging fastener stock on an upper floor or planning a delivery of several boxes across multiple job trailers.