I'm working on a model for someone meant to be printed in steel as a pendant. A cute little baby animal that comes out to about 2 inches from head to tail. Hollowing provides clear benefits, but putting a 2mm hole on a creature that's hardly 30mm across in any direction is a little macabre, and since it's a pendant, it's not like there's a bottom face I can use that will always be hidden. Due to the nature of the animal, my associate and I agreed that an open mouth would be suitable. I was able to come up with this: http://i.imgur.com/4VCZsYw.png Am I correct in assuming that, so long as I can fit a 2mmx2mmx2mm sphere in through the throat and into the body cavity, the technicians will be able to clear unused material from the escape hole? Or do you think that the nearly 180° curve will be rejected during the printing phase? Thanks in advance for any insight!
Recommend just making it solid. In steel it won't clear, and it's not worth it to save 1/2cc of material. Actually, I'd guess that the tail and feet, and also the wall thickness of the body as you have it, are too small for steel. This looks more like a model for the cast metals (silver, brass, bronze) to me. In those you would want the hollowing.