I saved all of the plastic gears from that and a few other things I took apart and advertised them on Craigslist in the arts and crafts section for whatever anybody would be willing to give me for them. No takers yet, but if somebody calls tomorrow and offers a buck, I'd take it.
By the way, the idea about using the rods as a punch tool is pretty ingenious. Are there any specific applications requiring a punch that they are particularly useful for?