Its not even a real LED, and I have purchased an original skee-ball Model H score and ball count cover. What it looks like is a red plastic front, then molded plastic hollow sections that a lightbulb goes in. When you score, it turns the various bulbs on. Though it looks like an LED, it is actually not one. Price-wise for me, the cost was within $2 of each other. I decided to go with the original bulb style instead of modernizing it with a 5" 7 segment LED. The circuit I have will work for either one, just have to make sure you get the +/- correct on the LED or else you will smoke it. With bulbs, it doesn't matter.
Bending metal, even stiff metal is not difficult. Easy way without much equipment is to put it over something round, and bend it. I used to be involved in medieval reenactment, and we made our own armor from 14 and 16 gauge steel. Its not too difficult, you just have to work with it to get the hang of it. But putting a curve in a flat piece is easy. I figure if I can make gorgets, articulated knee and elbow armor, I can probably curve some metal plate. Look up how to make roman lorica and you can probably find some information on metal working with simple tools as far as doing the curves.
I've got the large side panels of the scoring section cut already, along with the scoring rings and top panels for the ball chute.
Brad