Shot Blast Cabinet or Kit? Compressor Size, Media and Clogging

Blasting is one of the quickest ways to clear rust and old paint from wheels, brackets and chassis parts. Yet an undersized compressor, damp air or the wrong media soon leaves you with a spitting gun and a part that is barely touched.

This guide covers choosing the blaster, sizing the air supply, picking media and curing clogging. PartsForMachines stocks 20 cabinets, kits, guns and media in our shot blasting range.

Cabinet, Pressure Pot or Portable Kit: Which Blaster Suits My Job?

A cabinet suits small and medium parts you want to blast without dust and media going everywhere. A pressure pot suits big items blasted outside, and a portable hopper kit or gun suits jobs away from a cabinet. Cabinets such as the SB951 and SB972 arrive with a gun fitted, internal lighting and a replaceable viewing screen.

A pressure blaster drives media much faster than a suction (siphon) gun and is generally more productive. The SB997 pressurised shot blaster has a 37-litre tank, an in-line water trap, a 2.4m hose and five ceramic nozzles. Portable hopper kits are easy to move, holding 22–40kg of media with a 3–4.5m grit hose.

What Size Compressor Does a Blast Cabinet Need?

One that delivers at least the blaster’s air consumption at your blasting pressure. Compare the air your compressor actually delivers (FAD) with the figures below before you buy either machine.

Smaller cabinets ask least: about 7cfm on average for the SIP 03868 and 12cfm at 90psi for the SB951 shot blast cabinet. The taller SB973 needs 15cfm at 90psi.

Bigger kit asks more. The SB974 double-access cabinet uses 18–39cfm, the SB994 hopper kit 10–16cfm and the 37 and 75-litre pressure blasters 6–25cfm. Most of our blasters connect through a 1/4” BSP inlet, so check your fittings match.

Glass Bead, Grit or Soda: Which Media Strips Rust and Paint?

In a cabinet, strip rust and paint with glass beads, aluminium oxide or silicon carbide; save coarse grit for pressure pots, portable kits and handheld guns. GB25KG glass beads are 180–300 microns, sized for cabinet work, and give a consistent, controlled pattern for preparation and finishing.

The BGT25KG grit (200–700 microns) suits workshop, handheld and recirculating blasters but not cabinets, and the pressure blasters accept grits up to 700 microns. Handheld guns take chilled iron grit or other beading media. For classic-car panels, soda is the gentler option.

Why Does My Blast Gun Keep Clogging or Spitting?

Check for damp first, as blasters are built to run on dry air and dry media. Cabinets such as the SB951 are designed for a dry workshop air supply, and a water trap keeps the grit moisture-free.

The SB997 and SB998 pressure blasters have one fitted in-line. Store media sealed, too: the BGT25KG tub is designed to keep grit protected from moisture. Use only media your blaster is made for, as the wrong grit can damage equipment or give poor results.

What Should I Check Before I Buy?

• your compressor’s delivered air (FAD) against the blaster’s cfm figure
• the largest part you will blast against the cabinet door and interior
• which media the blaster accepts: beads, oxide or carbide in a cabinet; grit in pots and handheld guns
• a water trap or dry air supply, and the inlet fitting (1/4” BSP on most models)
• an extraction port, spare screen covers and spare nozzles for a cabinet

Browse the shot blasting range, or contact the PartsForMachines team by WhatsApp, telephone or email with your compressor’s air delivery and the parts you want to blast.

Product options, delivery options and returns terms are shown on each product page. A 30-day return policy applies to eligible items.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use the 25kg grit tub in a blast cabinet?

No. The BGT25KG grit and the SG10/SAND6 bottled media for recirculating blasters are not suitable for shot blasting cabinets. Fill a cabinet with glass beads, aluminium oxide or silicon carbide instead, and keep the grit for pressure pots and handheld blasters.

Is it safe to blast with builder’s or play sand?

Avoid it. Sand is made up of crystalline silica, and blasting breaks it into fine dust. Breathing that dust over time can cause silicosis and other lung disease. Use non-silica media such as glass beads or aluminium oxide.

How do I stop the cabinet window clouding over?

Protect the glass with screen covers and change them as they cloud. The SB970 comes with a pack of 10 and the SB973 with a pack of covers, while the SB951 has a replaceable viewing screen.

Does a blast cabinet need a vacuum on its extraction port?

It is worth connecting one. Larger cabinets have a dust extraction port, 60mm on the SB973 and 64mm on the SB974, to deal with dust and airborne particles, so the working area stays clean and you can see the part.

Will a big part fit inside a cabinet?

Measure it against the door and interior before you buy. The SB974 double-access cabinet has doors 580mm wide with a height range of 320–495mm; the SB973 has a single 480mm side door.

Can I blast wood, brick or stone?

Some blasters suit them. The SIP 03868 cabinet works with a selection of woods and metals, and the Draper 53008 portable kit removes marks from brick and stone as well as paint and rust from metal. Ask our team if unsure.

Will soda blasting damage glass or thin panels?

Soda is the gentler choice. Sealey says soda will not etch glass or warp metalwork, which suits classic car restoration. It needs a pressure blaster: the SBKITA pairs the SB997 with the SB99.KIT soda conversion.

Can I fix stone chips without a cabinet?

Yes, with a recirculating spot blaster. The SG10E sandblasting kit seals to the panel with rubber nozzles, uses 5–10cfm at 60–120psi and comes with a 700g bottle of grit.

Can a blast cabinet sit on a workbench?

Some can. The SB972 cabinet comes assembled and fits on a bench, or on the floor with its optional SB972/ST stand. Check the overall size and weight first: it measures 760 x 510 x 715mm and weighs 21.44kg.