OWT router plane design

[snafuspyramid]

I'd like to make a full-size wooden router plane.

I've considered Derek's design (here: Old Woman’s Tooth (OWT) and with amendments here: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMad...ingTheOWT.html).

While I'm happy to steal the basic idea (good design being selective thievery, and all that), I'd prefer a blade column clamping mechanism by which tightening the screw draws the column towards the rear of the plane. Probably the best example I can find of this idea is here: Simple OWT tutoral.

Because the clamping mechanism will be "exposed", I shouldn't need to bother with inserting a piece of aluminium angle as Derek has done with his, since it'll be easy enough to saw a nice neat triangular notch in the body of the plane.

However, I'm having an issue with figuring out how to make a "keeper" - the metal device that holds the iron in place. In the last example, the author has made his own, but since I've no metalworking expertise or equipment (and for that matter no power tools of any sort) I thought that an eye bolt with a wingnut might do the same job tolerably, although it might need a bit of filing first.

What do you think? Is there any alternative to an eye bolt that might work in this instance? And, does anybody know the exact diameter of the shaft of the full-size LV router plane irons?

[snafuspyramid]

Eye bolt: https://www.whitworths.com.au/main_i...tAbsolutePage=