How to use a sandblasting gun
Updated: 21.10.2026
The hopper is full, the gauge looks healthy, and nothing is coming out of the sandblasting gun. That is the usual first afternoon, and the fix is rarely more pressure. Dry the air, use a silica-free media, try a scrap of the same material, and stop if the nozzle blocks while the hose is still live. The [sandblasting gun comparison](/hub/compressors/sandblasting-gun) is the product table if you are still choosing. Peter F. used those amazon.co.uk listings, the UK review notes, Sealey’s shot-blast instructions, and Health and Safety Executive sheet CN7 on 19 October 2026. We did not run the gun.
The hopper is full, the gauge looks healthy, and nothing is coming out of the sandblasting gun. That is the usual first afternoon, and the fix is rarely more pressure.
The hopper is full, the gauge looks healthy, and nothing is coming out of the sandblasting gun. That is the usual first afternoon, and the fix is rarely more pressure. Dry the air, use a silica-free media, try a scrap of the same material, and stop if the nozzle blocks while the hose is still live. The sandblasting gun comparison is the product table if you are still choosing. Peter F. used those amazon.co.uk listings, the UK review notes, Sealey’s shot-blast instructions, and Health and Safety Executive sheet CN7 on 19 October 2026. We did not run the gun.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Moisture separator | Feed | Stated pressure | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Metabo Metabo SSP 1000 | Not stated | Siphon | 7 bar | 8.2 | about £21.79 | View offer |
| Alternative |  InoKraft InoKraft premium kit | In the box | Gravity hopper | 60–120 PSI | 7.8 | about £49.99 | View offer |
| Alternative |  LIYOU LIYOU handheld sandblasting gun | Not stated | Gravity hopper | 60–100 PSI operating | 5.2 | about £10.99 | View offer |
On this page
Air on, media dry, people out
Drain the tank and fit a separator before you connect the airline. Only the InoKraft premium kit in this batch states an oil-water separator. Wet air clumps abrasive, which is the clog those UK reviews keep describing. Fill the cup with a silica-free media. CN7 says use less than 1 percent silica and do not use sand. The media page is soda, glass bead, or aluminium oxide. Set the regulator inside the stated band, then try a scrap. Metabo states 7 bar. The InoKraft kits state 60–120 PSI and no cfm, so a healthy gauge can still starve the nozzle. Goggles are eye cover, not the CE-marked air-fed helmet at UK APF 40 that CN7 describes for the blaster at work.
When the hopper will not feed
Look at the outlet before you touch the regulator. The LIYOU, at £10.99 with a stated 8.8–10.6 cfm and a 900 ml hopper, is the worked example. Sixteen UK reviews describe a tiny outlet, a securing screw that crushes it, and media that never reaches the nozzle. Buyers who drilled it still had no flow. Drilling is not a setup step. UK reviews of the InoKraft premium kit mention clogging even with a separator, and connectors that did not match the compressor. A full 900 cc cup that lasts about 3–4 minutes, when it does flow, is consumption. If free air delivery is the doubt, the compressor size guide is the check.
A blocked nozzle
Sealey’s shot-blast instructions say do not clear a blocked nozzle while the unit is pressurised. Disconnect the airline and let the hose go empty first. A blocked jet with the hose still live can throw the plug or a burst of abrasive when it frees. Then empty the hopper into a dry container and look for a damp lump or a loose tip. The only UK review of the Bohaner 8 mm boron carbide gun says the nozzle slides and blocks the air jet. More pressure will not seat a tip that is sliding. If the jet was even last week and now coughs, compare the bore with a new tip of the same size before you reconnect.
Where you stop
Stop when the part is structural, a closed vessel, or a coating that may contain lead. CN7 names old coatings as a lead risk. A listing that says auto parts does not clear that paint. Stop when the work needs an air-fed helmet and breathing-quality air, and when you cannot keep other people out of the dust. Stop if the next step is a drill in the hopper outlet. The LIYOU reviews already tried that, and flow did not return. Stop when the only media in the shed is kiln-dried sand or play sand.
Common questions
What do you connect before you pull the trigger?
Drain the compressor, fit a dryer or the separator if you have one, and connect a dry airline. Fill the gun with a silica-free media, keep other people out of the dust, and try a scrap of the same material. Metabo’s stated point is 7 bar and 300 l/min. The InoKraft kits state 60–120 PSI and no cfm, so a healthy gauge is not proof the nozzle is being fed.
Why does media sit in the hopper?
The outlet may be too small, crushed by a securing screw, packed with damp grit, or blocked by a nozzle that has come loose. On the LIYOU, UK reviews describe exactly that crushed outlet, and drilling it did not fix the gun for those buyers. On the InoKraft premium kit, reviews describe moisture and clogging even with a separator supplied. A cup that empties in 3–4 minutes, when it does flow, is consumption, not a blockage.
Should you raise the pressure when nothing comes out?
Leave the regulator alone until you know the path is clear and the air is off for the inspection. More pressure on a crushed or damp outlet packs the media harder and wears a ceramic bore open, which then asks for still more air. Sealey’s instruction is to disconnect the airline before you clear a blocked nozzle.
How do you clear a blocked nozzle?
Disconnect the airline and release the pressure in the hose before you touch the nozzle. Empty the media into a dry tub, clear the lump or reseat the tip, and only then reconnect. Sealey’s shot-blast instructions forbid clearing a blocked nozzle while the unit is pressurised.
Does a separator stop clogs?
A separator removes oil and water from the airline. It does not resize a tiny hopper outlet, and it does not dry media that went into the cup damp. Only the InoKraft premium kit in this batch states a separator, and UK reviews of that kit still mention clogging and moisture. It is worth having when the compressor runs wet.
When do you stop and not modify the gun?
Stop if you are about to drill the hopper, if the coating may contain lead, if the part is structural, or if you cannot keep people out of the dust. The LIYOU reviews are the example of a drilled outlet that still would not flow. Old paint and a job that needs an air-fed helmet are contractor work.
Related pages
Sources
Sources from the research digest. amazon.co.uk listings checked on 19 October 2026.
- HSE: COSHH essentials CN7 Abrasive blasting (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE: Construction dust CIS36 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- COSHH Regulations 2002, regulation 7 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Metabo UK: SSP 1000 (601569000) (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Sealey: SG13 sandblasting gun (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- CoolBlast: compressor buyer’s guide for sandblasting (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Sealey: SB998 shot-blast instructions (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- amazon.co.uk: Metabo SSP 1000 listing (retrieved 19 October 2026)