Please don't let me discourage you in any way. I'm just passing on info and my conclusions based on that info.
I'll exaggerate to get my point across. If you coat something with jelly, then coat it with concrete you dont exactly get the strength of the concrete. (Best I could do right now.)
I may well be wrong and am happy to be told as much.
The best way is to continue on the same course. Test a few pieces and do what you are happy with.