These Screws CAN DRILL STRAIGHT INTO METAL! (Self-Drilling Screws...Fasten Anything To Metal!)
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Many people are curious about the best way to attach objects to metal (including wood, plastic, other metal components.) This short video from The Honest Carpenter will show you a type of screw that makes fastening to metal very easy!
These Screws CAN DRILL STRAIGHT INTO METAL! (Self-Drilling Screws...Fasten Anything To Metal!)
SELF-DRILLING SCREWS are a type of fastener that can drill its own hole into metal.
For many applications, this cuts out the hole-boring phase, where you have to use a drill and high-tempered drill bit to first bore a hole for your fastener.
A company called Teks first popularized self-drilling screws in the late 1960s, but now numerous companies produce them (though Teks is still an industry leader for professionals.)
Self-drilling screws have a shovel-shaped head with two beveled gullets. When the screw turns against a metal surface (or other material), the head pares out a depression.
With enough force and rotations, the self-drilling screw head will eventually bore its own hole all the way through a metal surface. The threads of the self-drilling screw will then tap their own holes in the material as well.
Note: SELF-TAPPING SCREWS are slightly different. They do not bore their own hole in this fashion. Many of them have a notched tip that merely adds in the fastener driving process.
Self-drilling screws speed up the fastening process for many applications, including sheet metal roofing, steel framing, and producing stamped metal parts.
Fastening schedules and charts (like the ones below) can help you determine what gauge and type of fastener you need for your application.
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You’re still the best! Thanks so much this is incredibly timely as I’m just getting ready to try to solve the problem of connecting a wood bar to a piece of metal.
I often use self-driving screws to drill holes in steel rather than dulling a drill bit as long as the hole size is not critically important. They are really great for attaching metal to metal or wood to metal.
Dude - u are an awesome guy. Honest and helpful with topics that teach people abt things that help them. I have used tools and built stuff for years, always learn something useful when I watch your videos. It’s also not lost on me that yr parents raised an excellent person. Not all people are excellent people. Great to know an excellent person online.
This video was a big help. I have construction experience but not carpentry or garage organization. I’m always standing in the garage trying to figure out what fasteners to use for different applications. I never thought to look at fastener manufactures’ websites for explanations. This is going to make my garage organization much easier.
Great video ,clear and precise information, I have learned a lot from your channel, keep up the good work. Thanks Ethan. 🇬🇧
I use self drilling screws all the time at work and have discovered that they are also great for making pilot holes, especially in metal. They tend to not slip as much as a drill bit when starting and, if you're drilling for a larger screw, you can do it all without having to change your bit or tool at all. The other thing they're great for is temporarily attaching things to metal - I'll use pretty small (#8) self drilling screws to hang heavy cooler doors so that I can test them out and adjust the placements if needed. One quick operation to put them in, then I've got pilot holes ready when I'm putting in the more permanent fasteners without having to risk metal fatigue from inserting and removing the full size screws.
Same here, I've actually changed out most of my home project screws with self drilling screws, it was tedious tapping, pre drilling, etc.
Since you talk about removing the self-drilling screws, do they strip the threads in the metal when coming out in the reverse direction? I have a few pieces of wood fastened to a metal structure that I would need to remove and reattach multiple times, I'm afraid if I take out the self-drilling screws the thread will be compromised and I won't be able to put them in again. Maybe if I take them out and replace them with regular screws of the same size that won't be too much of an issue? Or should I go with a slightly larger screw that will tap a new thread in the same pilot hole as you're doing?
@@FilippoMasoni Any metal will loosen up after removing and reinserting the screws repeatedly but I've rarely had a problem with screws stripping unless I'm working with fairly light gauge material. Unfortunately, that's what I'm normally doing. I don't find that self-drillers affect the threads any more than regular screws do. If you're gonna have a final position after all the removals, then I would suggest going up a size - it gives you the best grab. If it's something you'll keep having to move just start with the smallest screw you can get away with and move up to the next size when it starts to loosen up. That'll give you the best long term results.
@@spaci-1701 thank you for the advice. The material is fairly thick probably 3mm, it's tubular steel. The final position will actually be without the wood paneling, so I will paint in the holes to prevent rust long-term. During the building process, I will probably have to remove and reinsert them 3-4 times max I hope. I'll get smaller regular screws and try. The self-drilling ones that are on now, are also too long than they need to be, so with shorter ones, I will avoid running the threads too much.
As an orthopaedic surgeon.. Who has been using self drilling, self tapping and then simple old drill and screw. I always trust the old drill a hole, tap and put the screw in the bone. Somehow I feel it gives me a lot of control over every step.
Really great to see this video. I only need these screws from time to time but I think you have brought a great idea to everyone and sounds much better than drilling especially when the bits get blunt too easily with tasks that only require these screws seems more convenient
Thanks for these tips - I wasn’t aware of self-drilling screws before 👍
Great video. One thing I learned is not to use them with a drill driver or hammer drill. The head will snap off to easily. A regular drill works great.
Thank you very much for this tip. SInce I'm fixing around the house and this is really helpful to fasten certain metal objects like the metal plate to the recessed radiator
Excellent. Exactly the info I needed and very well presented.
Thank you! I use self tapping screws at work. Did not know I also had another option. :)
Excellent! Love the value you always provide. 💯
Thank you! This video is just what I needed for a project I’m working on. Your advice on pressure, over speed, was invaluable.
Likewise I got a pile of these as leftovers from a renovation job and wanted to make sure they were meant for the project I'm working on. Thanks for the clear, concise information
Thank you! I’m working on a bus conversion and this is great information.
PERFECT timing - just when I needed to attach pipe clamps to galvanized raised beds to steady plant stakes! Thank you!
Great idea!
As always thanks for the great tips
What an AMAAAAAZING concept!!!!!
Using these right now to replace the weatherstrip on my front door, which has a steel frame. WOW - didn't realize it would take almost a full 60 seconds per screw to pierce through. The problem is, once it does break through, it threads so fast that you have to be careful not to over-screw or risk ruining your new aluminum strip!
Really appreciate your channel and explanations. Somewhere in my mind was etched that they were all self tapping and always disliked going through the trouble of finding bolts, nuts and washers to get the job done. Great video as always.👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Thanks for watching, Chuck! 🙂
Yup they work pretty nicely
Didn't know this kind of screws and didn't even know this was possible. Thanks much.
I bought some of these without knowing what they were. I tried them after watching this video, they're super cool and useful. ✌✌🙌🙌
Thanks for a good explanation. I really needed this now.
I just finished (and I mean just yesterday) putting together a steel carport kit. It came with some of these screws. After screwing about 30 or so of them into place I decided to use a regular drill bit to drill a pilot hole first rather than 100% rely on the screw to drill the hole. In my case at least this helped a LOT. The screws in the kit seem to me to be high quality, but drilling a pilot hole still helped me out a lot. Just my own experience.
It depends on the metal. Yes sometimes just using a drill bit is better/quicker.
When screws won't start, I like to hit them firmly with a hammer. Fasteners can take a bit of abuse, and once the working surface is pierced they tend to grab and drive easily.
@@dandersonanza I have a cheapo spring center punch for that
What a way cool tutorial. Thanks and all the best .
Thanks for teaching something new.👍👍
Series 500's where I am. Amazing how they can punch into structural steel effortlessly.
Another home run. Thanks!!
One more very helpful and educational video. Thank you.
hey ethan, i’m a new woodworker and was wondering if you would think about doing a video on nail guns. framing vs brad vs pin and their applications. air vs electric and what beginners need to get setup. love the videos and thanks in advance!
Yes I'm needing to fix some light metals and aluminum. Great timing
I use 12/15mm ones for screwing drawer slides they are fantastic for this.
Thanks for another thorough explanation. I am very happy to have discovered your UTube channel.
Thank you for continuing to watch and support, Richard! 🙂
🤗THANKS ETHAN…MANY PEOPLE WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS…KEEP UP THE GREAT JOB 😍😍😍
thanks, I have some of these and didn't know what they're for.
The ' Blue pill ' , GPS mapping , and self tapping screws are the greatest inventions I have seen in my 70 years of living !!! Building my Hot Rod , I spent MANY a dollar in Drill bits , until now !!! I thank God for the mad scientist that invented these screws !!!
An old Indian trick that a Irishman taught me! Great video, Like you said these screws have been around for a very long time, but many are not aware of them. They are great for metal to metal, but do not rely on them for metal to wood applications and here's why. The bit tip takes out too much material in the wood to fasten properly! Yes it will hold some, but the finer threads are designed for metal and are shallow and more threads per inch. For screws to hold in wood, they need to be less threads per inch and deeper threads that hold into the softer wood fiber. The hole in the wood needs to be smaller than the hole in the metal so that the threads can dig into the wood and hold much more securely. I have found this out the hard way when I used this type of screw when fastening metal to wood, but I found they would pull out much easier than proper wood or even more coarse sheet metal screws.
Thanks always appreciate your helpful tips and tricks
You’re welcome, Caleb!
Useful information. Thankyou.
Just what I need to reinforce my gate repair. Thanks
Nice explanation. Thank you.
Excellent clarification 👌 👍
Thanks Ethan, gosh those are very useful to have, thanks so much….take care as always from south africa
Thanks mate, it helped me, not everyone grows up using drills ect all the time, Cheers
Very helpful! Thanks!
I've used them so many times on projects, eg. my metal shed roof (I looked forever on the internet to see how to rebuild a metal shed roof = nothing! So I pulled it up, shoved some 1x1 up the profile(s) - if you know what I mean, and then screwed on some metal moldings, a voila.) These screws are my go-to when all else fails.
I love Tek screws. When I screened in my porch there was a structural steel beam supporting the roof beam in the middle, so I had to attach my screen frame to that. The Tek screws worked perfectly, I just had to be careful not to overtighten and crush the thin aluminum screen frame. A little white paint on the hex head and it blended right in. Unless there is some overriding aesthetic reason, the hex heads are the only way to go, especially in thicker metals.
Thank you very helpful from Fontana Ca 👊🏽🙏🏽
Thanks Ethan- another good video. One thing I wasn't clear on. Since the examples here were all relatively thin, it seems like one could get plenty of fastening power punching through the metal, and binding the wood underneath. The tips of these screws are hard enough to bore a hole in metal. Are the threads also hard enough to cut thread..channels (?) into the metal? Thanks!
As someone who uses these screws all the time. I’m a commercial plumber so I’m constantly securing to metal studs. That being said the title made me laugh. I understand that it’s aimed at people who don’t know this stuff but it still sounded like they were some revolutionary new invention. I do find it odd how we use the names of these screws. I know they’re self drilling but myself and everyone I know calls them self tappers. If I asked a helper to pick up some self drilling screws who knows what he’d come back with.
Thanks for this comment because I was just wondering if I could use these self tappers to attach heavy shelves & heavy art work to my condo walls that have steel stud beams.
@@sunshinesandy3265 actually if you’re connecting something small but heavy, I wouldn’t use self tappers. Screws even fine thread don’t hold really great in metal. Maybe if they’re structural metal studs then they’ll hold. If they’re standard partition type thin metal studs, I’d drill a half inch hole and run a toggle bolt vertically through it. That’ll hold anything you can throw at it
@@joshcowart2446 Thank you so much for your help. You recommend that I drill a 1/2 inch hole horizontally through the drywall & metal stud and run toggle bolts right? Should I use my Bosch Cordless Drill Driver or Impact Driver? And what type of drill bit should I use Titanium or ?
@@sunshinesandy3265 yes. when I say toggle bolts I’m referring to the zip style. Many call them molly bolts. I’m not referring to the spring loaded ones. The spring loaded toggle bolts will work but they’re just difficult to use and if you mess up you can’t reuse them. Home Depot and lowes sell the zip style in packages with as few as 4. I use 1/4” ones and they’re rated for 100# in drywall so in a metal stud one would hold hundreds. If the shelf doesn’t line up with 16” center studs, I’d get one side in a stud and the other in drywall. I don’t know the weight you’re hanging but I’ve used that same method to hang a 20 gal water heater on the wall. I’ll put a link for what I’m talking about after the text. As for drills, generally drills are best for drilling holes and impacts are best for driving screws. The exception is if you’re doing fine woodwork then drive screws with a drill so you can control it better and not tear things up. However in this case either tool will both drill and tighten the bolt. www.lowes.com/pd/TOGGLER-10-Pack-Assorted-Length-x-3-16-in-Dia-Toggle-Bolt-Drywall-Anchor-Screws-Included/3183815 I like these best. The ones at Home Depot will hold just as much but they sometimes break getting them in because of how they’re designed. However some Home Depot’s have hilti brand mollys and they’re just as good or better than these. We use these for all sorts of very heavy things. I use them for wall mount water heaters, porcelain wall mount bathroom sinks. We’ve even secured 3” steel gas pipe to a wall. They’re the best drywall fastener. I don’t know if I mentioned it but when you put one in a metal stud you have to put it the metal toggle in vertically. If you don’t it won’t be able to sit flat and will either break when you’re pulling it tight or cause your bolt to be crooked
@@sunshinesandy3265 kzhead.info/sun/hqdqitmwrIxog40/bejne.html
Thank you Ethan.
Very useful video! I hope all is well?! This info will come in quite handy
These screws are also useful as a tap-and-die in a pinch. I like to use them to tap holes for mounting post lights. Then I back out the screws and use the supplied decorative screws to attach the light.
Good tip, Dan!
learned something new today thanks!
Thanks for watching, LUSO!
Perfect timing. Woohoo. You saved the day
Thanks for the infos.
Well well old boy I had never heard of these things before so now well filled in I shall see if I can source such from local shops. Thanks Bob England
These screws actually make for decent drill bits (not just in steel) in a pinch just be careful because they can overheat if you use them repeatedly over a short period of time. Had to drill a bunch of pilot holes into 18mm fc sheets, drill bits were over heating and loosing temper so I grabbed a couple of series 500 and just cycled through 15 screws (allowing them to cool). Ended up saving money and time.
Thank you for sharing this valuable information with us.
You’re welcome, Rene!
Educated Now.. Thanks !!!!
This is awesome thank you!!
Thanks for this info!👍😎🤘😃
Thanks so much
Thank you so mutch
Thanks for sharing your skills. Have you any advice attaching wood to concrete stumps? Do I glue, drill or combination of both? Cheers HH Australia
Great tips 👍
Great lesson, I’ve always meant to learn exactly how these work. One question, could you use a self-drilling screw as a replacement for a tap if you’re dealing with a stripped nut?
The fastener is a Teks fastener the company that created them was ITW Shakeproof that eventually spun off to ITW Buildex. They went on to create the original Tapcon and EZ anchor lines, they still manufacture a few hundred million Tek screws annually in the US.
I couldn't find These at my local hardware store. They didn't have a clue what they were. Thank you
I've seen those screws & their super expensive but are total worth it when you've got to screw metal to any surface. Thanks for the video.👷🏿
Very true, W! Speeds things up drastically 👍
I'm glad you called these screws self drilling screws. Technically they are self tappiing but a few years ago I was watching a DIY show and they were calling Tapcons or concrete screws a self tappiing screw also.
Tapcons are an interesting example because although they're self-tapping they absolutely need pilot holes of a very specific width before that tapping action can occur.
Great info!
The video was about attaching wood to metal and metal to metal, for metal roofing, you’re attaching metal to wood, not a big distinction but an important one. I know at the big box stores they sell the roofing screws with the drill point tip, but at the roofing store they recommend using the pointy screws. I’m not an expert but i think a pointy screw would hold your roof panels down better than a screw that bores a big hole in your, usually, 1x4 wood furring strips.
The cutting head should be smaller than the thread so hole size doesn't matter. I'm a roof plumber here in Australia (metal roofer) and we tend to use zips (multipurpose screws) , though back in the day it was always the pointed head (timber) screws for fixing sheet even though we use metal battens.
Diggin Yer Content Mate!
nice video...building a new metal barn and this will be handy
Huge help with metal structures, Riser!
I did auto restoration and custom work in the 70's, self tapping screws were available then, good video anyway.
Great Video
super helpful
My door frame has some predrilled holes. I was wondering if I could fill the holes with epoxy and drill into that to mount weatherstripping
Thanks 😊
You gave me another idea!!! I would use this instead of welding it. Many thanks!!!
Fast and convenient with nothing but a drill, Loney 😁
Great video. I found these years ago when I had a desperate need to fix a garage door opener connection. Great to be reminded of their many uses!
Excellent video however when attaching 2 pieces of metals combined must not exceed the screw drill end. When drilling metal thicker than the drill end you will start stripping the screw thread.
Thanks for this knowledge article - very timely, given my current challenge. Some questions: are self-drilling screws "one shot" affairs, namely once drilled in, they should not be backed out in order to add something to the screws (like a hook or piece of wood or metal) to then re-attach into the original drill hole? In the same vein, when attaching metal pieces to metal, do both layers of metal have to be self-drilled and thus both tapped (suggested at 4:20 in the video), or can the first piece be pre-drilled slightly larger in screw diameter (using an ordinary metal drill), then held in place by self-drilling into the holding piece? I'll be working at height in confined quarters so any advance work I can do in the workshop before tackling the final install on-site would be very beneficial. Thanks in advance... Tom
Thank you for the video. How about a video of re roofing your shed roof. I have done normal roofing in the past but I think a lot of manufactured sheds have the minimum in roofing supplies. My main concern is the overhang because the shingles are just stapled on the sheathing. If I try to drive a nail to anchor the shingles I will destroy the sheathing. Any suggestions?
This is so helpful! I want to hang blind outside my house but there are only metal frame.
thx
attaching metal to wood with self-drillers is ng, they drill to large of a hole in the wood to hold well.
Agree. And back wood with steel but don't back steel with wood. The wood fibers will eventually tear (strip out).
The hole boring process is a whole boring process. I like that.
We used to use these on cold girders putting up insulated panels in winter by the water. We got to hating having to swap from drill to fastener because the cheap drill bits they bought couldn't handle getting through the girder. So we'd burn fasteners out, toss it and grab another one. When those swing lifts came back down, there's be as many fasteners in it as the panel we out up if not more. I hated how wasteful it was, but the company wouldn't supply the bits like the union required so we did what we had to.
Thank you
You’re welcome, Kylie!
That fastener only works with soft metal thinner than the flute depth. Thicker than that the threads will strip out above the flutes. If you want a good reusable threaded hole, once the screw bites in, use a little thread tapping compound or oil to draw off the heat and help the chips get out.
Thanks! Sharing on MeWe
I hope these work for attaching my blinds. I can't seem to drill through near the windows.
Hi Honest Carpenter, I unscrewed the tacks to remove my pool gate. I'm trying to reuse the tacks by drilling a new hole but am having some difficulty. Generally, can these metal shed tacks be reused?
Hi, should i use an impact driver, or a hammer drill, with hammer selected? Thanks
Thanks for the video. I am having trouble using self drilling TEKS screws on my metal purlins in garage. Sometimes they bite. So I tried drilling a pilot hole which helped a little. I am using a cordless drill. Should I be using an impact driver? I am drilling through the small part of 2x4 into metal purlin. Thanks for any help or advice.
Hi! Question? I’ve been dealing with fastening a flag pole bracket to my metal garage. I’ve been using the hex head screws but when the wind blows, the flag pole has been pulling the screws out of the metal? I now have several holes in my metal because of reattaching. Is there a way to keep the screws from coming loose? Ty