I got a great little bench from Cost Plus World Market. Required assembly.

Said to use two adults and not to assemble on carpet. As it didn't come with an additional adult in the box, and I wasn't ripping up the carpet to assemble the bench, I flew solo.

Which would have been fine, if the rear support that screws into the sides and into the seat was not warped.

I will try very hard to describe. There are two sides arms, and those two pieces have the legs already attached. There is a back, that fits between the two sides. There are two supports, front and back, these are also attached to the sides. And the seat portion fits between the two supports.

The seat portion has two wooden dowel knobs (things that stick out) on both the front and back that are oval, and are part of the seat itself. Those oval knobs are inserted into those supports front and back. There is a carved-out indented part for them to fit right in.

Once the oval knobs are in the indentation, a wood screw is to be used to hold the knobs in place, in the indentation. There is a pre-drilled hole on the support. But not on the knobs.

The part that is warped is the support, which bows away from the knobs. Only the rear support. The front support was fine and that was a breeze.

For the rear support, I got one of the screws in properly, holding the warped piece by hand while screwing. But that second knob/indentation combo, the support was most warped there, and while trying to hold and screw, the support went back to being warped, making me screw in the screw at an angle, which doesn't hold the knob in the indentation.

Removing and retrying was futile, even when I put my whole body weight on the bench to push the warped part down, I had already made a hole in that knob part that is incorrect, the angled hole.

I stopped there, because there are several ideas I have that could/might work, but if they don't, it could mess up the bench even further.

There's the old "use a bigger screw" trick. But the old hole is angled, and that new screw will just follow the path of the old screw, right?

I have a Dremel that has a small drill attachment. I thought of either drilling into where the screw SHOULD have gone (the best I can, which could mean complete failure, LOL) to make this old hole straight, for a new, larger wood screw. Or drilling into another part where the knob and indentation are located, to start a NEW screw, in a new hole, in a new location.

And, no, I don't want to return it. The local store had only the display, which is broken. And the back is put on backwards. I had to drive an hour to buy the last one at another store, and their display model is also broken and has the back put on backwards.

Also, the assembled piece will NOT fit in my car. I already tried buying a cute wicker settee, only to find it just wouldn't go in my car and had to return it without even leaving the parking lot. So I'm kind of stuck. Unless I want to disassemble the piece and then return it and go without until I find something else (that comes in a box that will fit in my car).

Wood glue, clamps, many screws and nails, duct tape, bungie cords, chewing gum? What is my next move?

Who knows wood, and who has suggestions for me?