Bolt cutters are primarily designed for cutting through metal bolts, chains, padlocks, and similar items made of hardened steel. While bolt cutters can technically cut through sheet metal, they are not the most efficient or precise tool for this task. Sheet metal is typically thinner and more flexible than the materials bolt cutters are designed to handle, so using bolt cutters on sheet metal may result in bending or distorting the metal rather than cleanly cutting it. For cutting sheet metal, it's generally better to use specialized tools like shears, tin snips, or metal cutting saws, which are designed specifically for that purpose and provide cleaner, more accurate cuts.