I have 8 of these vintage mid century dining chairs from Clifford Pascoe. Love them and they work well in our home. Only problem is that because they get pulled in and put thirty times a day, the screw holes in the wood backs get completely stripped. And every six months I have to take out all the screws and fill the holes with toothpicks again. Each back is simply attached with four screws through the metal frame - two on each side.

The wood itself is probably ready for a refinish, so I’m thinking of taking the opportunity to come up with a better long term solution for attaching the backs. I am pretty handy with wood refinishing (stripping, sanding, staining, finishing) - but no so familiar with wood repair.

Any suggestions? Wood filler? Too hard? I worry if I just do sawdust and glue, it won’t last any longer than the toothpicks. If you have ideas, please use layman’s terms and point me in the direction of any specific products since I’m not a pro in this area! Thanks!