[Shop-talk] Screwing steel studs?

[Karl Vacek]

They come in hex head too - in fact I've only seen that kind (but never 
looked for others).  And there are magnetic hex driver bits that hold them 
well.  Maybe they're better fitted to the bits or something, but despite 
being clumsy and having mostly used them way up on a ladder, I've had almost 
no slip-smash incidents with them.

They're often referred to as stitch screws, and the one tradename that comes 
to mind it TEK -- TEKScrews.  I've used larger sizes (1/4") to drill into 
some relatively heavy-walled fence tubing and while they don't slip right 
in, it's only a few seconds before they drill through and start threading.

Karl




>> Is there a special screw for this? The 'net won't give anything up.
>
> I believe you want a "self-drilling" screw instead of just self-tapping.
> The tip actually looks like a drill bit.  I bought a box at Home Depot 
> that
> had round Philips heads and they work pretty well.  Here's some available 
> at
> MMC:
> http://www.mcmaster.com/#tapping-screws/=2e22tm
>
> -- Randall