Sandblaster Systems

• Sandblasters come in two primary system designs, a siphon system and a pressure-pot system. The siphon system uses different sources for your air and the abrasives. You push the pressurized air through the blast gun using a hose and place a second hose in a chamber holding the abrasive. The pressurized air passing through the gun siphons the abrasive through the second hose connected to the gun and mixes it with the air flow, moving out of the nozzle with the force caused by the pressurization.
  
  To create a pressure-pot system you'll need to push the air through a sealed pot holding the abrasives with a hose attached to your air gun at the bottom of the pot. Both the air and abrasive is pushed through this lower hose and through the air gun nozzle using the pressurized force.
  
  

System Advantages and Disadvantages

• While both systems are equally effective, the siphon system wastes air in the process. Because of the need to siphon up the abrasive, the system needs higher pressure to gain the same results as the pressure-pot system. A siphon system operating at air pressures of 80 to 100psi only provides the force of a pressure-pot operating with 20 to 40psi of air pressure. You can refill a siphon system with abrasive easier though, without needing to open a closed chamber like that in the pressure-pot.
  
  

Blaster Guns

• The choice of blaster gun and nozzle for your sandblaster can determine the detail of your sand stream. You can go with a traditional air gun, but a gravity feed spray gun can be used as well. These can be found at most art stores. Use an airbrush if you need a finely detailed spray area, though airbrushes can wear out quickly when used for sandblasting.
  
  

Abrasives

• Different abrasives can provide you with different effects on materials when blasting them. They also come in different grit sizes. For your DIY sandblaster you should look to use a fine grit abrasive that won't block your system. Experiment with various abrasives until you find one that works well with your system.
  
  

Safety

• Many abrasives are hazardous to your health so take proper safety precautions. Cover every part of your body when working with the sandblaster as sand will get everywhere. You should also use a respirator which can be bought from local car paint and auto body shops. To cut down on the mess of sandblasting consider building a sandblasting enclosure.