Domenic Nardone's model Tama Artstar kit

Domenic Nardone's miniature replica of Neil Peart's Tama Artstar prototype is, in a word, amazing. He started building this model in 1986 and finished the project in 2008. Domenic's craftsmanship shows in all the details that made this kit one of the fan favorites, including the wind chimes, Grace Under Pressure drumheads, crotales, glockenspiel―even Neil's braided ponytail!

See the images in the following slideshow to view different angles of the model, or click a thumbnail below the slideshow to open larger images. Click to learn how Domenic constructed the kit or click to see a YouTube video of the kit, including a 360-degree spin.

Click a thumbnail for a larger view.

Notes about how Domenic made the Tama Artstar prototype model

DRUMS:

All the drums are made with various sized whiskey caps, shampoo caps and aerosol can caps for the base drums. All the caps were sanded, painted and wrapped with metal chrome tape for the rings. I used small ceramic tile plastic spacers for the tuning lugs that all had to be individually shaped....all 128 of them. I used red cellophane for the drum-heads (skins) and regular thin plastic for the clear heads. The bass drum artwork was originally hand painted way back in 1986, but was later recreated using various computer programs like Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. 

HARDWARE:

For the hardware, I used a combination of wooden shish-kabob skewers wrapped in chrome tape and regular plastic rods that I bought at the hobby store. The clamps were shaped with modeling clay and sanded down after it hardened.

CYMBALS:

The cymbals were created from tin can lids that were scribed with a compass and punched with a blunt round piece of metal to shape the bell part of the cymbal. 

VARIOUS PERCUSSION:

The hardware stands at the side of the kit that hold various percussion instruments are simply metal rods that were soldered together. The cowbells were made from thin board while the drum riser itself was constructed with thicker art-board, spray painted and trimmed with chrome tape. The crotales were made using gold thumb-tacks and the wind chimes were made with sewing needles all threaded and hung individually...THAT was fun to do!! 

NEIL:

For "Neil" himself, I sculptured him from wood and slapped some modeling clay on him to help shape him a bit. Originally I wasn't going to have him behind the kit but my son insisted that I should. (I still think he needs a bit of refinement.)

I keep telling myself that once I finish this kit I'll start working on some other famous classic rock drummers....John Bonham, Keith Moon, Peter Chris or Alex Van Halen...or even Neil's R30 kit but, we'll see....

YouTube video of the kit