These drums were featured in the Sears Christmas Wish Catalog.

Thanks glad you liked the picture. This was Christmas 1967. The picture is time stamped April 68. Dad would take a bunch of film to get developed at the same time. We lived in a pretty rural area back then. So it was months before some were developed.

Dan that's funny about the same picture and fireplace accessory's. The drum came with sticks and brushes. And the black stand pictured of course. I had a few of those tin toy drums too before this one. Hope you can find your picture would be fun to see.

So I finished putting this back together.

Could not resurrect the reso head.

So it does not sound good.

The batter head actually tensions a little bit.

These things were not really meant to be taken apart.

Or really played at all. At least not to any tension.

But..........They sure looked good on Christmas morning.

Not sure if I would restore one again.

Wait........a minute . I think I want another one.

So classy for a toy drum! All eye candy, no sound. As a kid you don't care, all you know is, you have a new drum! Great little piece of drum history right there.

John

Awesome catalog cuts. I'm saving all this pics. And now I why I got one. In those days I think my mother bought everything at Sears. They had a large store in downtown Haverhill, MA during that era. I also recall the Railway Express trucks coming to the house, so maybe she mail-ordered it.

Great memories.

Thanks fellas. This was a difficult restore.

Toy drum was more difficult than a real drum.

Very flimsy.

The guy who made these was Mario Maccaferri.

Came here in 1939 from Italy.

His first product was a plastic reed for wind instruments.

The cane was not available in wartime.

I believe the reeds were made in Europe.

Next, in the USA, he made plastic ukuleles with the help of Arthur Godfrey who put up the money for tooling.

The ukuleles and drums were made in the USA in a factory in New York.

The guy was a plastics pioneer.

The Mastro Snare is made of styrene.

John/Purdie Shuffle: So good to see you on the Forum. again Sir.

As usual, Pool shots inspired by Jerry Jenkins.

I have an idea for 1 more Mastro snare, if anybody has one for sale.

Thanks green glass drum.

I picked one of these up on the bay for a few bucks. Is in descent shape

except for a cracked rim. Looking into them it appears as though the ones that get a lot of money have Ringo on the batter head. I was afraid to take it apart due to the heads not having rims. Would love to hear how it all goes back together for you and any hints to make it look new again.

Good luck !

There is one for sale on the bay for $9.99 + ship. Sorry couldn't get the link but it shows up on a Maestro snare search

Hey Michael,

They will come apart.

Take the snare wires off reso side.

Untie strings.

Unscrew the lug screws on batter side.

Remove rim.

Head is tucked into rim with a steel band holding it in.

Pull top half of shell up.

It will come away from lower part.

Lugs, badges, throw and butt are slipped into slots.

Pull them all out.

See how shell sections are mated.

Circular cut outs with slots top and bottom.

1 slot for throw and 1 for butt.

Opsosite slots. 1 up 1 down.

Remove screws on reso side.

Remove rim.

See pics at start of thread.

Shell can be cleaned and waxed.

DO NOT USE a hard BUFFING WHEEL on Styrene.

Only the fluffy wheel and only very lightly.

I found this out the hard way.

I burned 2 Black lines in the plastic with the harder wheel and polishing compound.

Had to buff them out and it was a tender operation.

I recommend wax by hand.

Hardware can be cleaned, pick off bits of plastic on edges.

then mask off red areas and spray paint gold.

Thanks, let me know if I can help.

green glass drum