Metallics JQK19W 8 x 2 in. 1/4 Hex Head Slotted Sharp Point Self-Piercing & Tapping Screws - Gray - Steel Zinc - Each

No pilot hole needed. The JQK19W is a sharp point self-piercing and tapping screw, so it pierces and forms its own thread as you drive it. Twin lead threads cut the driving torque, and the undercut beneath the head lets more of the thread engage the material.

Case hardness is Rockwell C28-38, which is what lets the sharp point pierce and form threads in light gauge steel without a pilot. That hardness range is suited to thin sheet and light framing, not to structural plate or thick bar stock, where a drill point or a pre-drilled tapping screw is the right call.

Two options on this one. The head is a 1/4 inch hex measuring 0.244 to 0.25 inch across, so a 1/4 inch hex driver or nutsetter seats on it, and it also has a slotted drive (slot width 0.045 to 0.054 inch, depth 0.052 to 0.074 inch) if you would rather use a flat blade screwdriver. Head height runs 0.096 to 0.11 inch, so it sits low.

The JQK19W is 2 inches long in a #8 diameter with 15 threads per inch, so it carries through drywall, furring, or lath into the substrate behind in a single fastener. Deduct roughly nothing for the head, it is a low hex washer head that bears on the surface rather than countersinking.

Yes, the head includes an integral washer with an outside diameter of 0.322 to 0.348 inch and a thickness of 0.019 to 0.031 inch. That spreads the clamp load over a wider footprint than a plain hex head, which helps when you are pulling down thin sheet or a soft facing material.

The JQK19W is steel with a zinc finish, made from AISI 1018 to 1022 steel. Zinc plating handles normal interior and protected conditions. For direct weather exposure, standing moisture, or treated lumber contact, go to a stainless or heavier coated fastener instead.

They come in a jar, with a minimum order of 100 count. Metallics notes other sizes and quantities are available by request within the JQK series.

Because self-piercing screws are dimensioned differently from standard tapping screws, and there is no single industry standard for self-piercing screw dimensions. The published figures on the JQK19W, including the 0.244 to 0.25 inch head width and 0.096 to 0.11 inch head height, are a guide and some deviation can occur. If a drawing calls out a hard head dimension, measure a sample before committing the job.