hey barry, i don't know if this would be an option for you but, on a project i'm about to start (if all the cutting goes well) i'm going to use a wood burning tool to do the lettering. i was fotunate in that my daughter bought me one at a rummage sale for $5. maybe a soldering iron might work, i don't know. but you could look up pyrography to get an idea of the modern day wood burner tools. mine is dated 1988, still in the box.
good luck, gramps