Cracking The Code...getting Rid Of The Seamlines On The 1/8 Xke

[The Creative Explorer]

Upon request I am making a tutorial for the Revell/Monogram 1/8th kit of a Jaguar XKE or E-type.

Step 1: Preparing.

What I did to prepare the body wasn't difficult. I primed the body halves with 2 coats and roughly sanded it.

I primed the interior tub with only a light coat of plastic adhesive primer. Didn't sand it and painted the interior tub in the desired colour. When you're done with filling up the seems, you cannot spraypaint the interior anymore. So it has to be done prior to.

Make a lot of dry-fits, this kit is notorious for it's fitting. there needs to be made some cuts in the firewall, otherwise the firewall and the upper body halve do not flushfit very well.

Step 2: Glueing.

The most important key is getting the right glue! Normal modelling glue will not do.

I found 2 component industrial strength glue. Get the best glue you can find. It is very important, because you don't want to crack the paintjob on the seamlines. This will stay a fragile point at alltime.

So sand down all the places where glue needs to be placed. Also very important for strength.

Glue the firewall to the interior tub and let it stay overnight, maybe 2 nights. Be aware that every joint needs to be glued, wherever the firewall meets the tub, glue it. Find all the points where you can gain strength.

When the glue has set on the tub, glue the tub and the firewall to the lower bodyhalve of the Jaguar. And let it set for a long time again.

If you want to use the doormechanism and hinges, this is the time to place them onto the upper body halve. Later on it is impossible.

Now the hardest part. Use as much glue as you can ( not blobbing, but use it over as much square millimeters as you can and also on the insides of the body's where it will be unnoticable.

And glue the both body halves together. Use tape to hold the body halves together.

Because of the strength needed, I also place the rear-floorpan in the car. I did NOT glued it, it snaps in and you need to remove it for painting.

Step 4: Sanding and filling

Relax, the hardest part has been done. First you have to sand down the differences in the bodypanels, not really hard. after that, just filling and sanding and filling and sanding and filling and sanding and you get my drift there.

Until you get a nice smooth finish.

Step 5: painting

Preparing is simpel, you already have the body primed, so what you need to do first is cover up the interior tub. so no paint is coming on you nice-painted interior. Also remover the rear-floorpan in this step.

When you're done prepping the body, just paint the car.

Step 6: finalizing.

Because many steps has been changed because of this, it could sometimes be a challenge to fit the parts in the car.

some tips:

-Prepare the whole engine completely and fit the engine with its subframe after you painted the car

-Install the dashboard in the car part by part. But do not install the top-cover, that goes on when the windscreen is in place.

-Install the rear-floorpan only when you finalized the interior completely AND having the windows in place. This way gives you a bit more workspace for your hands.

-The rest should be do-able.

Forgive me about the pictures, but I didn't make a lot of the first process

Ps. If I made a more interesting tekst, would this be a nice article for ModelcarsMagazine?

Edited 29 Nov 2007 by Steef Hartither

[Harry P.]

Interesting.

Did you paint the interior of the body (headliner and other visible areas) before you glued the body parts together or after?

[The Creative Explorer]

Headliner has been painted bij hand after the paintjob.

But next project gets a cloth headliner. The other interior parts were spraypainted prior to be installed.

Hope this helps.