When you use a tek screw to fasten metals, you must ensure that the drill point of the tek screw match the thickness of the metal. A mismatch between the tek screw drill point and the metal thickness cause the tek screw to fail because a mismatch causes the drill point to overheat or strip. If the drill point of the tek screw is too small for the metal, the friction from the drill point will create heat, and this heat will cause the drill point to soften or burn out before the tek screw has passed through an metal.
Once the drill point of the tek screw has burned out, the tek screw will no longer pierce the metal, and the tek screw will simply spin without making a connection. Tek screw are categorized by point numbers, and these point numbers range from one to five. The point number indicates the drilling capacity of the tek screw, and a higher point number indicate a higher drilling capacity.
How to Choose and Use Tek Screws
A point one tek screw is designed for thin material like sheet metal or light HVAC ducting, and a point one tek screw is a precision tool for light gauge steels. A point two or point three tek screw is designed for medium materials such as roofing panels and metal studs, and these point two or point three tek screws has longer drill sections to handle heavier gauges of metal. If you attempt to use a light duty tek screw on thick structural steel, you will destroy the drill point of the tek screw, and you will also waste time because the tek screw will not function.
The head style of the tek screw must also match the specific application and an environment. For roofing applications, you should use a hex head tek screw that is paired with an EPDM washer. An EPDM washer provides a rubber seal that prevents water from entering the hole, and without an EPDM washer, a tek screw will allow water to enters the building.
For interior applications such as ductwork, you may use a pan head tek screw or a pancake head tek screw to maintain a low profile. For structural applications, you should use a hex washer head tek screw because a hex washer head tek screw provide a large bearing surface that distributes the load across the metals. The coating of the tek screw is important because the coating prevent corrosion from the environment.
If you use a zinc plated tek screw for an outdoor project, the zinc plated tek screw will rust quick because zinc plating does not provide sufficient protection against the elements. For outdoor projects, you should use galvanized coatings, and if you are working near a coast with salt air, you should use 410 stainless steel tek screw. Using 410 stainless steel tek screws or galvanized tek screws prevents corrosion, and preventing corrosion ensure that the tek screw remains functional over a long period of time.
The speed of your drill also affect how the tek screw performs in the metal. Many people attempt to use high RPMs to complete a job quickly, but high RPMs will melt the drill point of a tek screw when you are working with thick structural steel. When you are drilling through thick steel, you must reduce the RPMs and apply steady, firm pressure to the tek screw.
If you match the point number to the metal thickness, match the coating to the climate, and match the drill speed to the material, the tek screw will perform the installation successful.
