Hold any shape workpiece steady while you pound on it with a hammer. These bags are commonly used for initially shaping sheet metal—also known as roughing—before it’s finished on a solid surface such as a forming block, dolly, or anvil. Bags are made of leather for durability.

Hand-held bags fit in your palm for forming small pieces, and a strap keeps it secure in your hand. They come filled with lead shot.

Fill tabletop bags with No. 9 lead shot (sold separately) or sand. Sand is cheaper, but doesn’t conform to a shape as well as lead shot. When filling the bags with shot, leave enough room for it to be displaced during forming.