At the office: got one of those cheap blast guns with the hopper on the top and had soda and water mixed in a big bucket. Blasted the heads and cylinders in the bucket so that it caught most of the soda. Work almost as well but a lot messier.
Good results and good fun either way.
Everyone selling soda blast cabinets will tell you that you can't use a sand blast cabinet but mine definitely works, as long as you stay on top of things.