: I've just about finished stripping the deck & need to fill a few staple
: holes (mainly on the sides) Has anybody used toothpicks for filling staple
: holes?
: I used glue & sanding dust on the hull but I wasn't all that pleased with
: the result, I think they're too visible.
: I may still go that way but with more care, I'm just looking for options.

Lots of people have tried tooth picks. It is a lot of work for very little benefit. The end grain of the picks appears just about as dark as the staple hole.

Once the wood fibers are broken there is very little you can do to make the holes disappear. Swelling the wood with hot water may make them smaller, but they will still be visible.

The only way to eliminate the appearance of holes in the boat is to avoid them in the first place and don't use staples. If you make the holes, your best bet is to just learn to like them. They really aren't so bad. They are there for a legitimate reason and are an honest artifact of the construction.