Compressor for a sandblasting cabinet
Updated: 21.10.2026
The cabinet is chosen, and the compressor in the garage is a 24 litre DIY machine with a large CFM number on the box. A compressor for a sandblasting cabinet is sized on free air delivery at the nozzle you will actually use. Tank litres and piston displacement are the figures that get this wrong. Five of the seven listings in the [sandblasting cabinet comparison](/hub/compressors/sandblasting-cabinet) state no air consumption, so those pages cannot be matched from the text. This is not a lab test of your compressor. Shelf prices in the table are the figures on those listings.
The cabinet is chosen, and the compressor in the garage is a 24 litre DIY machine with a large CFM number on the box.
The cabinet is chosen, and the compressor in the garage is a 24 litre DIY machine with a large CFM number on the box. A compressor for a sandblasting cabinet is sized on free air delivery at the nozzle you will actually use. Tank litres and piston displacement are the figures that get this wrong. Five of the seven listings in the sandblasting cabinet comparison state no air consumption, so those pages cannot be matched from the text. This is not a lab test of your compressor. Shelf prices in the table are the figures on those listings.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Stated air | Max pressure | Cabinet type | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  SIP SIP medium sandblast cabinet | 7 CFM (198 L/min) average | 125 psi | Steel workshop cabinet | 7.3 | about £167.99 | View offer |
| Best value |  Generic Generic dual-gun cabinet | Not stated | Not stated | Dual-gun cabinet | 3.4 | about £172.99 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Generic Generic 100 L cabinet | Not stated | 125 psi (title) | Steel cabinet, 100 L claimed | 3.1 | about £555.99 | View offer |
On this page
The number that matters
Free air delivery, often shortened to FAD, is the volume the compressor can keep supplying at a stated pressure. Displacement, the piston CFM on the box, is larger because it ignores heat, leaks and the time the pump is not filling. Blast It Clean treats about 14 CFM of displacement on a single-phase machine as about 10 CFM of free air, holding about 72 psi through their 3 mm nozzle. It is a worked example, not a table for every ceramic in a hobby cabinet. Drain the receiver before you condemn the CFM figure. Wet air clumps the media and makes the compressor look weak.
The tank is only a buffer
The tank stores air the pump has already compressed. A 24, 50 or 100 litre receiver lets you blast for a short spell, then the pressure falls and the gun pulses. A bigger tank does not feed a larger nozzle. Owners on UK Workshop separate the same two numbers: about 3.5 CFM of free air for tiny jobs with pauses, and nearer 14–15 CFM for continuous work. That spread is experience, not a British Standard.
What the cabinets in front of you actually state
Only the SIP Medium Sandblast Cabinet, SIP-03868, ASIN B00BIK425U, at £167.99, states a consumption: 7 CFM average and a maximum of 125 psi. A dealer line, including text on World of Power, says the cabinet needs a 3 hp motor, 22 CFM and a 200 litre tank. That conflicts with SIP's own average. Match a compressor to 7 CFM and 125 psi, and treat 22 CFM as a different claim.
The Arebos 90 litre, outside this set, states about 5 CFM with ceramics from 4.5 mm to 7 mm. A larger tip is not an upgrade if the compressor cannot feed it. The £555.99 title states 125 psi and no consumption. The other listings in this set state neither. Silence is not 7 CFM borrowed from the SIP. Foot switches stay on the sandblasting cabinet buying guide.
Guyson's 2022 guidelines put suction guns at 8–45 CFM and pressure systems at 21–115 CFM, at a nominal 80 psi. The SIP's 7 CFM sits just under the suction band. A compressor matched only to 7 CFM is the wrong machine for the 21–115 CFM range. Do not paste a pressure-blast chart, such as CoolBlast's about 22 CFM at about 7 bar, onto the SIP.
Nozzle size and the 13 A limit
A worn ceramic opens the hole. The compressor that held a 3 mm bore falls behind once the orifice grows. Hobby cabinets often ship a 4–7 mm set. Start on the smallest bore. The SIP listing does not state a nozzle diameter.
The largest motor commonly run from a UK single-phase supply is about 3 hp, and Blast It Clean puts free air for that class near 10 CFM. UK mains are 230 V and a domestic plug is BS 1363, rated 13 A. Pressure systems in Guyson's higher band often sit beyond that circuit. Why a pressure pot drinks more air is on suction vs pressure sandblast cabinet. If your plate shows free air around 7 CFM, you can try the SIP on small parts and expect pauses. Do not invent 7 CFM for a listing that states none.
Common questions
Is free air delivery the same as the CFM on the compressor box?
Only when the plate says free air delivery at a pressure. Displacement CFM is the piston figure and it is higher. Blast It Clean's example turns about 14 CFM displacement into about 10 CFM of free air. That is their worked example, not a measurement of your pump. The SIP's own line is a separate 7 CFM average.
Will a bigger tank let me use a bigger nozzle?
No. The tank stores air the pump has already compressed. A larger receiver delays the moment the pressure falls. It does not raise free air delivery.
What compressor matches a cabinet that says 7 CFM?
Match free air at blasting pressure to that 7 CFM average, and stay at or below 125 psi. That pair is what SIP prints for 03868 and what ASIN B00BIK425U repeats. A dealer line of 22 CFM and a 200 litre tank conflicts with the 7 CFM average. Do not buy 22 CFM as the cabinet's consumption.
Why does a 6 mm or 7 mm ceramic stall a small compressor?
The orifice sets how much air leaves. The Arebos listing pairs about 5 CFM with ceramics from 4.5 mm to 7 mm. The largest tip needs more than the smallest, and a worn ceramic grows the same way.
Can I run a cabinet from a 13 A socket?
You can, if the compressor itself runs on a UK 13 A, 230 V circuit and the free air matches the nozzle. Blast It Clean's practical ceiling for that class is about 3 hp and about 10 CFM of free air. Guyson's pressure band of 21–115 CFM sits above that. The SIP maker page states 230 V and 13 A. The amazon file does not.
What if the listing does not state CFM at all?
Treat the requirement as unknown. That is the £25.99 generic, the £230.99 benchtop, the BONEW, and both dual-gun cabinets. The £555.99 title states 125 psi and still states no consumption. Do not copy 7 CFM or 125 psi onto a page that never printed them.
Related pages
Sources
Sources taken from the research digest. Listings were checked on 19 October 2026.
- COSHH 2002 Schedule 2 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- HSE WL18 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- HSE HSG201 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Guyson Manual Blast Equipment Guidelines 2022 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Riley Surface World, blast cabinet systems (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Blast It Clean, air supply (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- SIP 03868 medium sandblast cabinet (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- amazon.co.uk Sand Blasters bestsellers (retrieved 20 October 2026)