Thanks for the feedback. Maybe I can have the shop do these custom jobs, since you see my poor drilling ability. Honestly, the 3mm's hit off center because of the rounded button faces. My metal buttons are planning to have flat faces to match the flat metal faces and to help show off their polished, brushed, chromed, etc finishes. Rods would sit flush with this flat face.

Having more than one rod per button would be great BUT the button shaft has only a 5mm diameter. This is because of the "metal caps on Farnell buttons" design, which is the most reasonable option currently. Also, placing rods further from the LED will make them dimmer... unless they are angled slightly?

Bruno, having the rod blend in with the surrounding button in the daylight is definitely a high priority. Maybe I shouldn't have taken the pics using a flash because they make it look terrible. Darker colored rods should help, and, of course, the 1.5mm blends in well.

If only those 1.5mm's weren't so fragile. I snapped three trying to put them in place. I might have to include 8 of each color with lit metal buttons to make them last. We'll see. Stay tuned, I will have metal button prototypes... eventually if not sooner (week or two?).