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ok...no one...??

PERFECT !!! So EVERYONE is an expert, and I'll get some AMAZING advice.

I've found that I must do this myself...and I DO have the equipment...

It seems to me that - SINCE I WILL be doing it myself, I have the option (LUXURY) of doing it in this manner:

- Of course, I WILL mount the valvesets to the tuba bodies, but only "tack" them in place.

- I will then REMOVE the valvesets from the bodies, bead blast the valvesets and bodies SEPARATELY (so it will be easier to see/reach all the nooks and crannies).

- Finally, I will do the full mounting jobs, and touch up the instruments at the their solder joints...and sure, I will also make certain that I've completely neutralized the instruments (of acid residue) prior to the final passes back inside the bead blasting cabinet...

...eh...??

I for one would love to see a few pictures along the way...

York-aholic wrote: ↑Mon Sep 06, 2021 12:47 am I for one would love to see a few pictures along the way...

+1
If time and money were no object, I would have my tuba overhauled, bead blasted and lacquer coated. My favorite finish on a brass instrument.

I appreciate the positive comments. If anyone knows why I shouldn’t blast the body and valve section separately, I would like to hear from them.

I’d be more curious as to why one would want to media blast parts closer to the end stage of assembly, other than maybe just texture consistency?

Seems like you’d want the body and valves separate so that you can hit all of the nooks and crannies in the body and valves with much more ease. Specifically on smaller/more compact horns where getting into those bends may be difficult. But yet the eye can see them easily.

For the finish coat, sure, it should be a whole piece.

@Tubaryan12 I would keep inside the bell shiny, you??

Sidestepping to the sidebar, “esoterics”, some will remember that I combined a brushed finish with a satin finish on a 186…the 186 that appears in Bill’s videos.

The only bright silver surfaces were the bell interior and the front fixed bearings of the five rotors.

My 1960s Holton B-flat – the short profile one - sports some pretty deep gouges on the bell interior - gouges which run in the direction of the bell. If I do the satin thing on that instrument, I might consider the same combination of finishes as with the 186, but go farther and do a brushed finish on the bell interior - with the sanding lines running the direction of the bell - to cloak those gouges. The challenge would obviously be to get those sanding strokes arrow straight from down inside the bell to the rim of the bell.

yet another option for bell interior decor:

Three Valves wrote: ↑Mon Sep 06, 2021 8:29 am @Tubaryan12 I would keep inside the bell shiny, you??

Yes, without question.

@bloke If it were an exclusive tradition/Polka band, yes.

I have never seen the Easter egg version before…

I have no idea who could/would do this for me.
I realize that I am attracted to nice-looking things that tend to be nearly unique.
To me, “nice-looking“ is not defined by “a front-action compensating E-flat tuba sprayed with three colors of translucent lacquer which blend into each other”.

Three Valves wrote: ↑Mon Sep 06, 2021 3:36 pm @bloke If it were an exclusive tradition/Polka band, yes.

I have never seen the Easter egg version before…

bloke wrote: ↑Mon Sep 06, 2021 8:34 am
yet another option for bell interior decor:

bloke wrote: ↑Mon Sep 06, 2021 3:51 pm a front-action compensating E-flat tuba sprayed with three colors of translucent lacquer which blend into each other

A rainbow Holton 6/4 would be pretty sweet.

LargeTuba wrote: ↑Mon Sep 06, 2021 7:02 pm A rainbow Holton 6/4 would be pretty sweet.

...for someone else, perhaps...

This is in the National Shrine to Music Museum. All tarnish I think. 6/4 too, as was asked for two posts above.

bloke wrote: ↑Mon Sep 06, 2021 7:13 pm

LargeTuba wrote: ↑Mon Sep 06, 2021 7:02 pm A rainbow Holton 6/4 would be pretty sweet.

...for someone else, perhaps...

Says the man with a bass boat colored sousaphone...

bloke wrote: ↑Mon Sep 06, 2021 3:51 pm
To me, “nice-looking“ is not defined by “a front-action compensating E-flat tuba sprayed with three colors of translucent lacquer which blend into each other”.

Touché, but that instrument was put together to use in a New Orleans style outdoor brass band.
The finish was selected specifically to draw attention to myself.
In a symphony orchestra, the big shiny instrument already accomplishes that, even though I would prefer that it not, being that - the vast majority of the time, other groups or individuals in the ensemble are the stars/soloists/main events.
For the very same types of reasons, I load up my symphonically-utilized tubas with water keys (to avoid twirling them around, pulling big components off of them, and making clanking noises).

Three Valves wrote: ↑Tue Sep 07, 2021 7:39 am

bloke wrote: ↑Mon Sep 06, 2021 7:13 pm

LargeTuba wrote: ↑Mon Sep 06, 2021 7:02 pm A rainbow Holton 6/4 would be pretty sweet.

...for someone else, perhaps...

Says the man with a bass boat colored sousaphone...