I am working on a model for some large letters that are going to be built and installed on our campus. I have the font sized correctly and extruded using a thin feature and capped the ends to create the letters as (for now) 1/4" steel outlines with faces. I would like to be able to estimate both how much each letter weighs as well as calculate the total area of steel that will be needed to create the letters depending on what depth is finally chosen for them (whether they are 1' deep or deeper). The letters are going to be close to 7' tall so I would like to get an idea of how they can be lifted to be painted as well as bolted down once they are completed.

Another option is to frame the letters out of square steel tubing and then just skin them with galvanized and painted steel, which would be lighter but would require some different considerations given the fact that they will definitely be climbed on at some point. I guess maybe I could use the letter outline as a sweep and then sweep a square tubing profile around it? I don't know, just a guess at this point.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.