Metallics DWS75B 8 x 2-1/2 in. Bugle Head Phillips Drywall Screws - Steel Black Phosphate - Fine Threads - Each

No. Black phosphate is a dry interior coating only, with mild corrosion resistance meant for board that will be mudded and painted. The DWS75B is steel with a black phosphate finish, so keep it inside the building envelope. For exterior sheathing, wet rooms, or anything exposed, use a corrosion resistant coated or stainless fastener instead.

Phillips #2. Three #2 drive power bits ship in the box with the screws, so you can start without hunting for a bit. The recess is 0.124 in. deep and 0.176 to 0.201 in. across, so a standard PH2 tip seats properly without camming out.

They ship as a 5,000 piece box weighing 45.6 lbs. That is the order minimum, so it is a bulk buy sized for a crew hanging board across multiple units rather than a one room patch. Box footprint is 11.5 in. x 11.5 in. x 10.75 in.

That is the whole point of the bugle profile. The DWS75B head is a bugle shape 0.315 to 0.363 in. across with only 0.020 to 0.039 in. of head height, so it dimples the paper face and sits just below the surface without tearing it. One skim of compound covers it.

The DWS75B is flagged as Buy American compliant and ARRA compliant in the manufacturer data, with country of origin listed as multiple. For federally funded work, procurement should verify origin documentation for the specific lot being shipped.

Hardness is Rockwell C44 on AISI 1018 steel, which is the normal case hardened range for a sharp point drywall screw. That gives enough surface hardness to cut light gauge steel while keeping the core tough. Snapping usually comes from over driving with a high torque impact driver rather than from the fastener; use a drywall screw gun with a depth setting nose.

Metallics lists this screw for the electrical, plumbing, and heating and air conditioning trades, and tradesmen commonly use the 8 x 2-1/2 in. size for fastening straps, blocking, and light bracketry into studs. Keep in mind it is a sharp point fine thread drywall screw, not a rated structural or seismic anchor, so do not substitute it where a load rated fastener is specified.

The DWS series covers other diameters, lengths, and pack quantities beyond the 8 x 2-1/2 in. 5,000 piece box, available on request. If you need the same bugle head Phillips fine thread screw in a shorter length for single layer board, ask for the DWS equivalent in that size rather than cutting down this one.