I have said it before and will go on saying this. Surface preparation is the key to getting a great finish and is something never to be skimped on.
After masking I went all over the model with my 2500 grade sanding sponge and then I wiped the model all over with copious amounts of ipa making sure no bits of kitchen roll were left behind snagged on detail.
Next I primed the model. For the second time in a row I have used grey primer though mostly I have used black. This is because I am going to use, to me, a new approach to getting visual depth without pre or post shading using only the Sea Blue overall finish. If it doesn't work then it's easily done to revert to post shading but I am hoping what I am about to do saves me some time.
Before the spray booth and after the light sanding and cleaning with ipa
Here is the model after the first primer coat.
Some other parts I decided to prime.
Next I will be checking all seams and looking for build flaws which I will resolve before another overall light sanding with 2500 grade sanding sponge.
Because of the excellent engineering I don't expect much by way of build flaws but it's always good to check.