Mike Cummings Crash Tender
I too am a 'beginner'. I'm just making one now and I'm on the painting stage. it has been a bit of a mission and, right from the beginning, every stage of the build has had it's own challenges but it has been a rewarding experience. I've always found Mike to be very helpful and if you would like to speak to me during your build, that would be possible.
For glue, I used Araldite 24hour for the stronger joints, and for those which take time to fit. For the quicker stuff I used Araldite Rapid (10min). The whole boat is stuck together with the stuff and it's built like a tank!
Good luck.