Metallics DS1545M Screws 8 x 1 Hx 1/4 Hd Sl St-zn (Box 5000)

The Metallics DS1545M is made to self-start in sheet metal from 0.015 to 0.050 inch thick, and it also works in resin-filled plywood. Its gimlet point starts the hole and the threads form their own mating thread as you drive it. Above 0.050 inch the point will struggle, and you want a self-drilling (Type B or self-drill point) screw instead.

Dimensions follow ASME B18.6.3-2010 and the threads follow ASME B18.6.4. Metallics lists the DS1545M as both ARRA compliant and Buy American compliant, which is what a government, school, or healthcare submittal usually asks for. Country of origin is listed as multiple.

Both. The DS1545M has an indented hex head with a slot, so a 1/4 inch hex driver in a drill or impact works for production, and a flat blade fits the slot for tight spots or hand finishing. The hex measures 0.244 to 0.25 inch across the flats and 0.272 across the corners, and the slot runs 0.045 to 0.054 inch wide by 0.052 to 0.066 inch deep.

A Type A screw like the DS1545M has wider spaced threads than a Type AB and a gimlet point. The coarser pitch, 15 threads per inch at the #8 diameter, grips thin sheet with fewer threads and drives faster. Type AB uses a finer pitch and is the more common pick when you need thread engagement in slightly heavier gauge or in plastics. For 0.015 to 0.050 inch sheet and resin-filled plywood, Type A is the right family.

Yes, the head carries a washer with a 0.322 to 0.348 inch outside diameter and 0.019 to 0.031 inch thickness, so it spreads load past the hole without adding a loose washer to the job. Overall head height is 0.096 to 0.11 inch. That bearing face is what keeps the screw from pulling through thin sheet.

Torsional strength is rated at 39 lb-in minimum, with a case hardness of Rockwell C28-38, from AISI 1016 to 1024 steel. That is the standard duty range for a #8 tapping screw. Set your impact or clutch below that figure, because in thin sheet the screw will reach seating torque well before it reaches breaking torque, and over-driving strips the formed thread rather than breaking the screw.

The DS1545M ships as a box of 5,000 screws, and 5,000 is the order minimum, so it is a stocking quantity for a shop or an MRO crib rather than a single job pack. The box weighs 26.35 lbs. Metallics does offer other sizes and quantities by request.

The DS1545M is steel with a zinc finish, which handles ordinary indoor and protected service, including unheated interiors. Zinc plating is not a marine or direct weather exposure coating, so for coastal or constantly wet locations specify stainless or a hot dip galvanized fastener instead.

One inch of length is far more than thin sheet needs, since a Type A screw only has to pass through and form thread in material 0.015 to 0.050 inch thick. The extra length is useful when you are fastening a thicker item, such as a strap, bracket, or a cleat, down to that sheet. If the excess point protruding behind the sheet is a problem in a tight enclosure, order a shorter length from the same series.