Been in the abrasive blasting/ airblast business for 32 years. There are two kinds of cabinets . Both have a cyclone/reclaimer to reclaim good abrasive and dust collector to suck the abrasive and dust out of the cabinet. Suction which combines abrasive and compressed air and abrasive at the nozzle. Not nearly as effective as a pressure unit which pushes abrasive and air out of a pressure vessel. More expensive though. Suction does not use the air efficiently but usually a lot cheaper and sufficient for most work. Trinco is a good inexpensive cabinet. Empire
http://www.empire-airblast.com/empire_econo_finish.htm also has some nice inexpensive units.They have dealers everywhere.
http://www.trinco.com/leftframe1.htm
48" wide by 36" is a standard size but many sizes are available.
The real important thing is compressed air. The more the better and the bigger interior dimension nozzle you can use directly related to speed of work. Those little tank mounted units up to 10 hp are not sufficient. Used compressors are cheap. An 15-25 hp one with more than 50 cfm will have you cooking. Google "used compressors" and you will find plenty.
As for abrasive, sand is worthless. It does not recycle and is nasty. Glass beads which go around many times is the most popular by far and good in suction cabinets. Pressure can bust it up faster. You can also use aluminum oxide but it does not recycle as many times and is rough on equpment because it is so sharp. Steel grit is popular too but you really need a pressure cabinet. It is a good abrasive and lasts forever.
PM me if you have trouble finding a dealer. Most abrasive dealers who sell loose abrasive sell cabinets and have experience people You should check the yellow pages under sandblasting equipment and supplies too. Sandblasting is still a generic term and contractors use it outside.
Ah my favorite topic other than baseball.