Despite long-standing negative reviews about the difficulty of assembling this product, the manufacturers evidently haven't taken steps to make it any easier. After struggling mightily to turn the screws all the way in, I slightly enlarged the screw holes with a 13/64 drill bit, which did the trick and still allowed for a good tight fit. I don't recommend attempting to tighten the screws using a power drill with an allen-wrench bit, which is likely to strip the screws. As many reviewers have mentioned, the little caps to cover the screw holes are useless unless you glue them in. I think the stool looks okay with the screw holes uncovered, frankly.
Good sturdy stool despite the assembly headaches
Despite long-standing negative reviews about the difficulty of assembling this product, the manufacturers evidently haven't taken steps to make it any easier. After struggling mightily to turn the screws all the way in, I slightly enlarged the screw holes with a 13/64 drill bit, which did the trick and still allowed for a good tight fit. I don't recommend attempting to tighten the screws using a power drill with an allen-wrench bit, which is likely to strip the screws. As many reviewers have mentioned, the little caps to cover the screw holes are useless unless you glue them in. I think the stool looks okay with the screw holes uncovered, frankly.