Upcycling is not that hard. The real problem imo is that legendary quality is such a late unlock, and lower than legendary feels kinda worthless for everything except maybe personal gear and power poles.
Quality power poles are the key to Fulgora, IMO. Connecting islands gives you more power and a place to put your accumulators. Also, connecting a tiny island with a large amount of scrap but no room for power to your power grid turns that island from nearly useless to valuable.