Jeff, Great looking bike! Ride it like there is no tomorrow! 18lbs?
I am in the process of converting to tubulars. The impression that they made on me in 1968 is still with me. The De Rosa has them, Vittoria Corsa G+ -
Vittoria Corsa G2.0 Tubular Road Tire Twin Pack | ProBikeKit.com. You may be able to find them for less somewhere else. They have an additional puncture resistant layer some of the others, Corsa Speed, do not have and are a little heavier. I really like these tires and have a clincher pair on the Montello. You will likely get a lot of confidence once you let go of the apprehension.
I glue, I know how to do it and I don't worry about timing. I try to carry an equivalent as a spare that is already glued. Changing is easy. Like @
rlorenz2, a gloved hand works really well and not messy with Vittoria glue. Why I am hesitant to use the tape is the cost and comments about the difficulty of changing tires on the road. A replacement tape is needed. The fear related to rolling the tube off the rims is not of concern to me. I am not descending at 50+ on a curvy mountain road for miles with a lot of brake action to heat up the rims. Even with a pre-glued spare, I have not fears. It takes a lot of force to roll the tire off. Try doing it with no clue and pumped to your desired pressure, at home. There is a lot of pressure on the rim as the tube tries to reduce its ID when pumping it up. Most others have stated that they pump between 90 and 110. I pump to 125-135 with the Vittoria's and get a better ride. I am slightly above your weight.
WRT sealant. I don't use any. Tried it once, using the green stuff. The hole was to big for it to seal. If you need to add every year, when does the tire become solid? Sounds really messy to me. I would rather patch myself. This requires some investment in the tire stock.
I don't have any recommendations as there are plenty in this thread and Totally Tubular. To each their own.
When I was between jobs and/or tight financial state, the YJ tubes were purchased. They are still on the Colnago and will remain until they are worn out or I am ready to mount on a different bike, like the '72 Bottecchia. One was lumpy, replaced by JY and with it came the suggestion to stretch evenly to avoid lumps. Putting you foot in and stretching with your arms is a no-no, with a lump possible. I guess this is due to the construction of the case, 150tpi? The Vittoria's are 320 tpi. I have a couple of damaged tubular rims I use to store and stretch.
I am interested in your experience with the decision you go with.