I think your plan is pretty good Jack.. As far as the laminated side being SLICK.. I would wonder if it would matter to a bee who can walk easily on a pane of glass? Not to mention your going to paint part of it, and the bees can run about on even glossy smooth paint thats been waxed (my truck) without falling off.. so any worries about smoothness I think are moot.
When I build hives I usually put the rough side (If there is a rough side) toward the bees. If they can seal up the inside of a tree trunk the rough side of a board should be easy for them. Yhe smooth side is easier to paint and seal, and keep sealed.
My Bottom boards are plywood, and as already stated they can be a bit of a pain to keep the end grain sealed. I sandwich the plywood between the 3/4 boards the hive body sits on, gluing and nailing, and that helps keep the edges from delaminating.
Primer and two coats of paint, and often just three GOOD coats of paint (when I dont have primer) does a fair job. If I have gaps where a bit of the ply is missing or pealed I fill the gap with exterior caulk then paint, that way the water doesnt get into the gap. "most" of the bottom boards I build like this are in their third year and still look just like when I put them there. Two or three apparently didnt get painted well and will need replaced this year.
When I dont have flashing I do the same with the top covers. So the TOP of the tele cover is just painted ply, and just like the bottom boards.. MOST seem to be holding up better than I had hoped, with the odd few that will need to be fussed with this year.
I think that you will have some pretty spiffy looking woodenware with the smooth exterior painted up..
(Note)
Often the EDGES of boards, and plywood will soak in a LOT more paint than the sides. I keep painting the edges until they stop soaking the paint in. When the final coat goes on it is difficult to tell it was open grain.
Put some pics up Jack! Nice snag on the wood!
