Hello Liam, good questions here we go.
Superglue will be more the efficient for the stitch and glue method of creating a canoe.
I presume you are wanting the resin to laminate the canoe after you have made the shell using the stitch and glue method.
First of all, lets look at the perks of both Polyester and Epoxy and then I’ll follow it with some questions.
Epoxy –
Pros
- Strong mechanical bond to most materials, it will take to wood well.
- Sets at colder temperatures.
- Waterproof.
- Long life expectancy for wooden epoxy boats 20 years +
- Good Chemical Resistance.
Cons
- Not very flexible will crack under stress.
- Not UV resistant so it will require a topcoat.
- More expensive than Polyester Resin and Vinylester Resins.
- Can’t be thinned easily as the chemicals effect how the epoxy will set.
Polyester Resin
Pros
- Can be made flexible using fairly cheap additives.
- Can be used as a UV resistant Top coat with a wax additive in the last coat.
Cons
- Won’t adhere to wood as strongly as epoxy.
- Requires temperatures of 20 degrees and above.
- May allow water to penetrate if left in the water for long periods of time.
I personally have always used polyester resin for gel coat repairs and priming surfaces. I always used a syringe some disposable gloves, and a cup with measurements on the side. I add a flexible additive to the mixture so that flexible areas don’t crack. It’s notable that you can also address the flex and strength with laminating.
However, that said in your case you will be adhering to wood so Epoxy will give you better results and less chance of delamination. It will however require a topcoat to seal it in. I’m guessing flexibility won’t be an issue if a strong cloth is used with plenty of layers.
Conclusion
Ethier will work but polyester resin will be cheaper and in my opinion easier to work with. You won’t need to worry about the topcoat. A UV resistant Epoxy with flexibility would be better if you can afford it. There are some flexible epoxies available to be on the safe side. But you will definitely need some form of epoxy compatible topcoat if you can’t find something with UV resistance and flexibility.
Something to consider
Imagen you have built the perfect canoe, you leave it outside for a few seasons but the epoxy has faded in the SUN and now looks a bit naff you can’t just paint over it because it’s a canoe any 1 part paint will fall off with use, you’ll need something strong and compatible.
Hope that helps Liam!