Well, I may have answered my own question, but I'd still like your input. Anyway, I think I've found the place for having shot peening done. Talked to Fred at United Plating Work and took these notes:

• $75 for a set of 8 rods if they have to mask the bores, and $50 if not
• They are an aerospace company and do it quite scientifically. They measure the thickness of the part and refer to a MIL Spec that gives them the guidelines as well as the required test strips. They load up with the appropriate shot, set the PSI, and shoot against a test strip that must arc to a certain height. Then they shoot the part, and then shoot a test strip when done to prove they are still in calibration.
• A media blast cabinet like mine won't have enough vacuum to pull the steel shot properly. They use an elevator system that raises the shot above the work and then introduce the air as the shot falls.
• Proper shot peening increases the fatigue life 10x. For instance, if you took a part that would work-harden and fail after 10 bends and shot peened it the failure point would be somewhere beyond 100 bends.