Give me a LITTLE credit, Doc! I did remove the black plastic piece and found behind it, under a foam coating, the locking mechanism. It appears to be a one piece mold. Unless there is another piece I need to remove? I would think the lock assembly would be something that should be removable in case one needs to replace it, (or replace the wood strip)!
I hope this clarifies my question a little better.
Thanks again...
Joe