I managed to endure the cold before the temperature dropped really low recently, and scared the bejezus out of myself by snipping and drilling 0.5 mm. nickel-silver sheet into some sort of electric panel.  The first time I had drilled metal, and I hope the last.  Despite pilot 'dents' with a nail on marked out dots - the push-to-make switches and power-input plugs are at 7/8" pitch - the drill gave a decidedly 'eccentric' hole on seven of the ten.  However, it fits, which is all that matters.

Hole drilled and sawed in baseboard, plate with two coats of undercoat and one of top-coat, and cork trimmed away:

Panel in situ with third coat of top-coat, and only one scratch on installation:

I like the 1/4" telephone plugs, with their 19th-century 'telegraphy' heritage.  I always wanted to be a teleprinter operator...  Now I just need the weather to warm up enough for me to spend time in the garage wiring it all in.