Patternmaker's letters

[Vinny]

I don't know what expensive rubbery stuff you're referring to, but Smooth-On has a number of rubber mold making materials that aren't that expensive. I would suggest Dragon Skin 10NV. Very rubbery, easy to get your model out of and will go right back into shape. Trial size, last I looked, is about $25-$30 US for what they call a pint. It's actually a pint of the rubbery stuff and a pint of the hardner that you mix 1:1 so in reality you get a quart. That's enough to make 2-3, maybe more, molds of your letters. The mold doesn't have to be more than an inch deep based on what your letters look like. The 10NV is thin enough to mix easily, has a fairly short cure time and is thin enough to not need vacuuming to remove the air. You have 15 mins to mix and pour, then it takes 75 mins to cure.