If you have a block plane like this, you will know that the plane can fall apart or loosen if you back off the blade. As the blade is retracted, the piece of metal above also moves, causing the screw to disengage. I figured that I could stop this from happening by grinding away part of the raised metal surrounding the cutout. I did it using a dremel with a grinding bit. It was easy to do. It works, when the blade is backed off, the metal stays where it needs to be. The plane can no longer fall apart or get loose. Because the area where the screw seats after modification is flat, the new arrangement provides a more solid secure seating for the screw so there are two positive improvements. Improvements such as this mean that I can focus all my attention on the work at hand. Job done.
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