Workers Of Wood

You can tap wood for machine screws just like you can tap metal. I find the holes my metal taps make seem slightly looser in wood than in metal but it gives options for things like a using a bolt for an adjustable stop in a block of wood. Lee Valley used to sell taps for this purpose and may still. Their taps seemed to make a better thread than my metal ones do. They tested the holding power of machine screws against wood screws and found virtually no difference. I believe them because I used one of their taps to replace the small wood screws that held the escutcheons and drawer pulls on my antique sideboard's drawers and that was at least 20 years ago.

MDF threads too. I made a bunch of zero clearance insert plates for my unisaw and you need to drill four holes in them and thread in set screws so that you can adjust them level to the saw top. Worked just fine and I've yet to need to readjust them after several years of use.

I do that too Chuck, only I just use the metal taps, then wax the threads and they work great, never had one strip out.
HErb

Another technique is to drizzle some CA glue once they are tapped to strengthen.

(The difference between a trick and technique is a technique is a trick used more than once)