Hello Tom;
Welcome aboard! As far as aluminum is concerned super glue and epoxy are a little less technical than TIG welding but you have planted the seed of thought. There is a TIG welder in my boat shop. Dumas kits are supplied with very course grained plywood which is hard to finish. When you cover the wood with Fiber glass and epoxy the grain fills well and the grain color still shows through very well. The glass cloth disappers completely when wetted out with epoxy. When are you going to jump in and join the fun of building?
Chuck