Snips & Shears

Tin Snips and Aviation Shears for Australian Sheet Metal and Trade Work

Tin snips and aviation shears are the hand tools for cutting sheet metal, ducting, and thin steel where powered cutting tools aren't practical. From standard straight-pattern tin snips through to colour-coded aviation shears for left and right curves, the right snip in the right hand produces clean cuts in thin material faster and cleaner than power tools. For Australian sheet metal workshops, HVAC contractors, and roofing trades, snips are everyday tools. AIMS Industrial supplies snips and shears from Bahco, Wiha, and approved trade brands.

The snip and shear types we stock

• Aviation tin snips (compound action) — the modern industry standard; multi-pivot mechanism multiplies hand force for cleaner cuts in heavier sheet
• Straight-pattern tin snips — single-pivot snips for traditional sheet metal work; lighter cutting force but simpler construction
• Pipe shears — purpose-built for cutting plastic and copper pipe
• Cable shears — for cutting electrical cable and rope cleanly
• HVAC duct shears — for clean cutting of HVAC ducting and ductwork material
• Heavy-duty notching snips — for cutting curves and notches in sheet

Aviation snip colour coding — what each handles

• Yellow handles — straight cuts in any direction; the everyday workshop choice
• Green handles — right-curve cuts; standard for cutting curved patterns rotating right
• Red handles — left-curve cuts; standard for cutting curved patterns rotating left

The colour coding is universal across brands — yellow, green, and red snips work the same way regardless of manufacturer. For sheet metal workshops doing varied work, all three handle colours earn their place; for predominantly straight cutting, yellow alone covers most work.

Where snips earn their place

• Sheet metal fabrication — cutting sheet to size, trimming weld preparation, finishing edges
• HVAC ductwork — cutting ducting sheet, fittings, and trim
• Roofing and cladding — trimming sheet to fit, cutting around penetrations
• Automotive panel work — cutting body panels, repairs, and trim
• Electrical cable trays — cutting cable tray to length and trimming fittings

Sheet thickness capacity

Snip capacity varies by mechanism and brand. Typical capacities:

• Standard tin snips — soft sheet to 1.0mm, harder material to 0.7mm
• Aviation snips — soft sheet to 1.2mm, stainless to 0.8mm
• Heavy-duty aviation snips — soft sheet to 1.6mm, stainless to 1.0mm
• Industrial bench shears — for thicker sheet (these are bench-mounted, not hand snips)

Don't push snips beyond their rated capacity — the cutting edges chip, the pivots loosen, and the tool's life is dramatically shortened. For thicker sheet, use power shears, plasma cutting, or bench shears.

Brands stocked at AIMS

Bahco covers the trade range with strong product depth across yellow, green, and red aviation snips, plus specialty cutters for pipe and cable. Wiha provides the precision end with German engineering on the snips' jaw and pivot construction. Both brands deliver the cutting edge accuracy and joint smoothness that snips need to keep working over years of trade use.

Care and replacement

Snips fail at the cutting edges and the pivot joint. Wipe down after each shift to remove metal swarf that grinds into the joint. A drop of light machine oil in the pivot every few months keeps the action smooth. Replace snips when the cutting edges are visibly chipped or the joint develops play — sharpening tin snips is generally not economical for trade-grade tools.

Companion ranges at AIMS

Snips and shears sit alongside our broader cutting tool and sheet metal range — see side cutting pliers, saws and hacksaws, power shears, and notching punches and dies for the related products.

Need help speccing snips for sheet metal, HVAC, or trade work? contact our team — we'll match by capacity, cut type, and brand.