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After using chemicals and brushes to strip paint of models I wanted to give a dry method a go. I thought I'd share what I learned so far and hear if anyone has any advice to offer.

First I bought a Badger Mini-Sandblaster, which is basically a really basic single-action airbrush with a ceramic tube as a needle-less nozzle and a glass jar from which the aluminium oxide powder is siphoned out. It does strip the paint - and primer - off just like you'd be reverse airbrushing the layers off to make the plastic show. However, the aluminium oxide is quite expensive and flies everywhere in use. Even in the garage that was a bit much. I was looking for a more sustainable solution, so I picked up a sandblasting cabinet off eBay and also got a big bucket (15kg, ~30lbs) of small (0.1-0.5mm) blasting medium, which goes fine through the cheap-o gun/nozzle the cabinet came with.

Provided I crank up the air pressure to 7 bar (~100psi) this works great. I chucked in some sacrificial vehicle models of which the paint just wouldn't come off using alcohol, and boy does it work well. Unfortunately, the air requirements exceed my cheap-o garage compressor (nominal 160 litres of air per minute), so I'm now in the market for an beefier compressor that can do the job.

Obviously, the sandblasting medium just flows around any antenna, arms, weapons or other doo-dads that may be produting from the model, a welcome and intended change from brushing paint off.
Also, sandblasing leaves tiny nicks and scratches similar to sanding the surface with 600-800 grid sandpaper on the model surface, which I consider a plus, since it gives the primer more surface to bite into. I'm hoping that this will be very useful with Forgeworld Resin, which I found quite challenging to clean and prime successfully.

Do any of you use a mini-sandblaster or air-eraser for your models? Any experiences or advice you care to share?

I use a Paasche air eraser.

Works quite well for a lot of different tasks. If you want to remove stuff like decals without damaging the paint under it - an air eraser allows you to do as much. If you want to hit metal or resin figures to give them a very smooth finish for high end painting - an air eraser will do as much (and much faster than hand sanding). If you want to strip paint to bare material but can't use a regular stripper (enamels off something that dissolves in most strippers) - an air eraser will do it. Weathering wood in order to make it look like old barn wood - air eraser. Weathering paper for old poster looks - air eraser. Etching glass - air eraser. Carving stone - air eraser....

Really a very versatile tool.

You do need a good bit more pressure and volume available to get the most use out of them. Normally I don't go anywhere near 100 PSI (50-75 for most work). Sometimes I work as low as 30-35 PSI (stripping decals and weathering paper). My house air is supplied by an 80 gallon upright though which is able to provide 140 PSI - 16 cfm at 90 PSI. More than what your average hobbyist will need, but I have a proper sandblaster, HVLP guns, pneumatic tools and all the rest which have greater air demands than what a hobby compressor can provide.

You may want to get some of the finer grade aluminum oxide. Although it flies everywhere - you don't need as much air to do the same amount of work. In order to help keep it under control - you can buy a small bench top cabinet for $100 or so or you can make your own.

http://www.finescalerr.com/smf/index.php?topic=1215.0

I dont have one of these... although I do want one...... hmmm, payday is soon

I have read something from badger suggesting baking soda (Sodium bicarbonate) as a good, cheap blasting powder.
Unable to test this just yet, make of it what you will