Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

How to use a sandblasting gun

Updated: 21.10.2026

The gun is on the bench, the hopper is empty, and the first squeeze either does nothing or dumps the pot down your sleeve. How to use a sandblasting gun, for a gravity pot or a small suction kit, is a dry media, a hose you can bleed, and a stop before you poke the nozzle. Goggles are not the whole of that control. This page assumes you have already decided to blast a part you can lift. It does not rank the kits. The ten listings are on the [portable sandblaster comparison](/hub/compressors/portable-sandblaster). The steps follow HSE sheet CN7 and the Sealey SB998 instructions as transferable rules, not as the manuals for these Amazon kits.

The gun is on the bench, the hopper is empty, and the first squeeze either does nothing or dumps the pot down your sleeve.

Our top picks

InoKraft InoKraft basic kit

Best overall

InoKraft InoKraft basic kit
7.4/10about £42.99
View offer
InoKraft InoKraft premium kit

Rank 2

InoKraft InoKraft premium kit
7.9/10about £49.99
View offer
BGS BGS 70056 with grit

Alternative

BGS BGS 70056 with grit
5.8/10about £27.38
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Set the air before you load the grit
  2. 2.Load a dry media that is not sand
  3. 3.A first pass on a piece of scrap
  4. 4.Stop, disconnect, and leave a live nozzle alone
  5. 5.What the goggles do not cover

Set the air before you load the grit

Drain the compressor receiver before you connect the gun. Water in the tank becomes mist in the hose, and mist turns dry grit into a lump that will not pass a small nozzle. Fit a separator if you have one. In this set, the InoKraft premium kit is the box that includes an oil-water separator. The basic kit does not, so a dryer has to be on the airline already or the first fill can clump. Confirm the thread before you force a fitting. LIYOU states 1/4 inch NPT. The BGS 70056 states 6.3 mm and does not say BSP or NPT. InoKraft uses a quick connector, and reviews include connectors that would not tighten. A leak at the plug is lost pressure. Keep the compressor upwind if you are outside. Point the hose at the part, never at a person. Choosing the gun is the portable sandblaster buying guide.

Load a dry media that is not sand

At work, COSHH 2002 Schedule 2 prohibits sand or another free-silica substance as an abrasive for blasting articles. That binds employers and the self-employed. Owning a gun at home does not by itself make you a dutyholder. CN7 says not to use sand, and it treats silica-free as under 1 percent silica. Kiln-dried paving sand is still sand. Use a blasting media the bag names. The BGS box includes 2 kg of brown aluminium oxide at 0.21–0.35 mm, a short trial. Sieve out lumps, shut the bag, and leave the pot short of the rim.
InoKraft InoKraft basic kit

Testsieger

InoKraft InoKraft basic kit
7.4/10about £42.99
View offer

A first pass on a piece of scrap

Trigger the air on scrap before you touch the part. If half a minute produces no grit, stop. Do not open the nozzle while the hose is still connected. UK reviews of the BGS 70056 say grit leaves the 510 ml pot when the gun points down. Keep that pot roughly level. LIYOU reviews describe grit that never leaves a tiny outlet. Neither fault is cured by more PSI on the regulator. If the stream is spattery, in the two-second bursts one Estink review describes, stop.

Stop, disconnect, and leave a live nozzle alone

Release the trigger first. Shut the outlet on the compressor, or disconnect at the coupler once the flow has died, and let the hose go soft. These Amazon guns do not have the tank and the gauge Sealey prints on the SB998. You can still refuse to open a fitting while air is in the hose. Do not poke a blockage with the compressor running. If a suction pickup has packed with damp media, empty it with the air off. A gun that stopped drawing after about ten minutes, as one Estink review reports, is a return. Put the media back in a sealed bag. Do not dry-sweep the dust. Flash rust is measured in hours, on the sandblaster for rust page.

What the goggles do not cover

The safety goggles in the InoKraft kits cover the eyes against chips. HSE sheet CN7, for open blasting at work, expects an air-fed helmet at APF 40, and respiratory protection at APF 20 for people nearby, plus an exclusion zone. A pair of goggles is not that helmet. At work, that protection has to exist before the session. Stop and use a specialist for a bodyshell, a thin panel, a coating that may contain lead, or an inlet port you cannot keep shut. The AUTOOL walnut machine is that port tool, and the air pump is not in the box. A wing is not this session.

Common questions

What do I connect first?
Drain the receiver, then fit a separator if you have one, then the gun. Confirm the thread: LIYOU states 1/4 inch NPT, BGS states 6.3 mm without naming BSP or NPT, and InoKraft uses a quick connector. Set the regulator inside a band the listing states, such as 60–120 PSI or 6.2 bar.
Why does the grit clump?
Moisture from the compressor tank turns dry media into a lump that will not pass a small nozzle. Drain the receiver and keep the bag shut. The InoKraft premium kit includes a separator. The basic kit does not. More regulator pressure does not dry the air.
Can I use building sand just once?
No. At work, COSHH 2002 Schedule 2 prohibits sand and other free-silica abrasives for blasting articles. A hobby garage may not make you the dutyholder, and the dust is the same. Use a named media, such as the aluminium oxide in the BGS box, and keep it dry.
How do I stop a gun that has no tank gauge?
Release the trigger, shut the compressor outlet, and let the hose go soft before you open a fitting. These guns do not have the gauge on a Sealey pressure pot. If the gun stops drawing and stays stopped, that is a return, not another hour on the same blockage.
Are the goggles in the InoKraft box enough?
They cover the eyes against chips. For open blasting at work, HSE sheet CN7 expects an air-fed helmet at APF 40, and respiratory protection at APF 20 for people nearby. Goggles are not that helmet. Stop and use a specialist for a shell, lead paint, or a port you cannot keep shut.

Related pages

Gravity or suction sandblaster

Portable sandblaster

Best portable sandblaster for small parts you remove

Portable sandblaster buying guide: job, air, media

Sandblaster for rust on car parts, not thin panels

Sources

HSE, legislation.gov.uk, CoolBlast, Sealey and Kue Group, plus the ten amazon.co.uk listings. Shelf prices, stars and review counts are the figures saved on 19 October 2026.

  1. COSHH 2002 Schedule 2 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. HSE CN7: Silica and blasting (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. HSE INDG463: Respirable crystalline silica (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. HSE INDG178: Written schemes of examination (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. HSE: Pressure Systems Safety Regulations (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. CoolBlast: compressors for sandblasting (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Sealey SB998 instructions (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Kue Group: paint after grit blasting (retrieved 19 October 2026)