I am sure this has been answered over and over again, but what are the holes for on both hatches and above above the drivers vision port and the bow MG? This is a HobbyBoss Flak bergepanther kit.

Recessed screw heads. Shep Paine's old book talks about how to make them.

I thought that to be an answer but every example that I could find of a panthers hatches or front slope did not show these. Thanks Bob.

If those are recessed screws, why aren't they slotted? Oh no!! A major omission from HB!

Not that I dont go along with the recessed holes but thats alot of bolts in a hatch and on a front slope

The majority of those are not actually recessed screw heads but rather conical bolt heads set in conical holes. There are actually no "slots" in them and they fit tightly into their holes with a friction fit (like a Morse tapered tool post on a lath or milling machine).

On the prototype tanks, they're also usually not so visible being either almost perfectly flush with the surface or just slightly proud or recessed with the surface. They're hard to see in most photos because they're usually fitted so well at the factory that a coat of paint almost covers them.

However, there are a bunch of them on many German tanks and without checking against a set of plans, these look about right in number and placement. These do seem a little too "distinct" and might look a little better if they were given a coat of Mr. Surfacer to make them less prominent.

HTH,

Thanks Mike, so it's safe to assume if I fill them in with putty and sand smooth that should be ok?

I imagine what is OK is up to you. The counterbores look too deep. If you fill and sand them smooth, there will be no indication they are there at all. If that's OK to you, then it's OK. If you want to indicate that there is something there you can consider punching out some discs of thin sheet that fills or nearly fills the holes and then leave the resulting slight counterbore or over flush or simple circular edge to indicate where these nearly flush fastener heads are.

Lots of ways to do it.

If _you_ like it, whatever you do, then it's OK.

Paul

Personally, I wouldn't completely obliterate them. In the past on many of my own builds, I've gone to considerable trouble and effort to replicate these. I might do something to make these less distinct, but I'd still want them to show some. IMO, they add a bit of interest and detail to otherwise monotonous flat surfaces. But that's just my opinion.

However, as Paul says, the choice is up to you as to what (if anything) to do with them.

Mike, Paul thank you both. You have given me food for thought. I kind of felt that filling them with putty and sanding in the past has kind of left slight dimples. So I thought that might not make them disappear altogether, so I will work on it, thx again

You could also fill them completely fluch and to get the edge effect, get a brass tube with the interior diameter the same as the diameter of the counterbores. Sharpen the _outside_ of the tube and then press the sharpened tube into the kit right over where you filled the counterbores. Do it gently and it should leave a thin outline of a circle in or near the filler you applied. Even if it's not perfect, you can't always see the whole outline of the fastener anyway so it looks even more realistic!

And, of course, you can use all three methods to get a varied look.

Just some random thoughts,,,

Paul

Thanks Paul another idea I hadnt thought of and 1 to now think about.