Hi EvanTex.
Thanks for your words of appreciation 
There are a few things you may wish to consider before diving into your DIY build. Since all 3 different basic sleeping positions have different basic support/comfort requirements. It is important to have a comfort layer that does not subtract from the support and firmness you need when sleeping prone but that adds enough comfort to address the “shoulder pressure pains” you are currently experiencing when sleeping on your side. Also, you’d need to assess the thickness of your current/future pillow under your head when sleeping upon your side, as this often has to be a bit thicker than what you would have been using when sleeping upon your stomach.
I wish there was a “magic bed” that can be perfect for all sleeping positions! Those who sleep in multiple positions have the challenge to assess for themselves and learn to discriminate between the effects of the firmness choice for any given sleeping position as it relates to themselves. It is true that sometimes it can be difficult to untangle the mixed body messages and feelings as they relate to mattress needs and preferences, but you seem to get closer to having an educated guess as to what you can realistically expect.
A combination Stomach/side sleeper is the most difficult to match as the prone sleeping position needs the firmest support and the side sleeping the deepest “comfort/cradled/‘aahhh’ feeling” and you’d have a very narrow margin to find the sweet spot that would be appropriate for both sleeping positions. I am glad that you are aiming to “get down back into the 160s” as this would enlarge this margin quite a bit. You may wish to review the guidelines in this Sleep Positions Article so that you avoid hyperextension in a swayback position that can also cause back issues.
The good news is that you identified specific likes and dislikes to take into account in building our DIY mattress.
As you are planning on building your own DIY mattress out of separate components that are purchased from several different sources then the first place I would start is by reading option 3 in post #15 here and the posts it links to (and option #1 and #2 as well) so that you have more realistic expectations and that you are comfortable with the learning curve, uncertainty, trial and error, or in some cases the higher costs that may be involved in the DIY process. While it can certainly be a rewarding project … the best approach to a DIY mattress is a “spirit of adventure” where what you learn and the satisfaction that comes from the process itself is more important than any cost savings you may realize (which may or may not happen). It comes with a steep learning curve, much patience, and you’d need to connect the dots along the way. There is something to be said about a finished mattress designed that went through multiple stages of trial and error.
You have not provided your BMI or height that will help with placing in the weight category for firmness support you might do well with based on averages of other consumers in the same wage range and sleeping positions, but I’ll do my best to offer you some food for thought.
• A stretchable 12" Knit Bamboo and Cotton Zipper Cover seems to be a good choice for what you have in mind with the DIY
• A 1-inch stabilization base layer is not necessary. Many mattresses do not have it and it is not an issue as long as the spring unit is intact and you have a good foundation under the unit. In your case, a base layer can be used both to increase mattress thickness to fit your cover and also can provide a solid surface that enables the pocketed coil springs to “activate” and function efficiently in case the foundation is not appropriate.
• The Quantum Edge Elite Bolsa from APM is a 6" pocketed coil spring than the 8" Quantum Edge Elite Pocketed Coil from LMF Coming from the same manufacturer these two units have a different height and number of turns but very similar coil count (1,057 for the 8" vs 1041 for the 6") which means they have the same diameter. They also use the same wire and gauge. However, on Leggett & Platt firmness scale, due to the difference in height the 6" coil unit has a higher ILD of 762 while the 8" has a 531 ILD which means it is less firm and supportive. Thickness and softness/firmness are very related and work together in a finished mattress and once you make changes to one component you may need to make other changes to the other layers to compensate.
• The choice of both transition and comfort layer will greatly depend on the support layer you‘ll select so
• I am guessing that you are looking at Costco’s Comfort Tech Serene Foam 2" Mattress Topper which is plush polyfoam The choice of the polyfoam material is in line with your preferences,. but the IFD is not provided which makes it difficult to assess this component both in terms of suitability and durability.
Whichever core you select, I’d recommend contacting the corresponding company, either Arizona Premium Mattress or Latex Mattress Company which are both experts of our site and ask them for some support with your DIY. Arizona Premium has some polyfoam components they are selling and you can easily find out from Ken if he can procure or has in stock some polyfoam that you might be able to use for your topper.
All in all, it looks like you have a bit more thinking to do. Let us know how it goes.
Phoenix