"Iron Rat" Stark's MIT ring from the 2nd movie

[Prince NEO]

So in Iron Man 2 Stark has a MIT class ring from 1987, but the only picture I can find of it is this:

Extra Info

Does anyone else know anything about this specific ring or know anyone that has maybe created it?

Oh, and a better picture of the 'Rat' as they call it, though it's a beaver:

 

[MooCriket]

Yeah, a cool ring to have for sure. Unfortunetly though, unless you go to M.I.T., the chances of getting it are going to be slim to none unless of course you are willing to pay a pretty penny on Ebay for an official Brass Rat ring.

A few of us tried getting a jeweler to make these when the first film came out and NO dice

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brass_Rat

http://alum.mit.edu/benefits/BrassRat/

 

[Prince NEO]

Thanks for the info, if I can get enough pictures I was hoping that I could have a 3d model made and then cnc them or cast them from plastic instead of metal as it would be cheeper and easier.

 

[JPolacchi]

You can also add metalizing powders to urethane resins so it can/will still look(and age) like brass.

 

[AgentJay]

Its worth it for that ring, good idea on the metalizing poweder it should add that touch of finiese

 

[JPolacchi]

Another idea would be to do a large, scaled up sculpt and then scale it down with a pantigraph.You might actually be able to do it out of brass then.

 

[Prince NEO]

Hmmm, that is a good idea, and how big of a sculpt are we talking JP?

 

[JPolacchi]

I think it depends on the machine's capabilities.Pantigraphs are "old technology",but some shops/industries still used them. Typially a larger model is built,say 200% larger,and the pantigraph scales it down. There are simpler ones around(or used to be).Used to be able to buy one from Sears.It worked with a router,but the principles are the same.I'm just not sure how small the Sears model can scale down? Not even sure if they still sell it?I'd ask maybe a jewlery shop,or maybe a sign shop,or one of those places that makes trophie plaques.I think they use pantigraphs?Mold&die shops don't really use pantigraphs anymore with the CNC technology&EDM that is out there which is very expensive.I'm talking thousands of dollars between the software,the set up of the mill and/or EDM,tools,material and the hourly rates of the machines .Brass can either be really hard or a relatively soft non ferrous metal and typically it can be machined/worked dry without cutting fluids.That why I was thinking a panigraph might work, even if it is meant for wood.You might burn the bit out,or even go though one or two,but hss is pretty tough.I turn mild steel&no cutting oil and the hss takes the abuse.I just have to re-sharpen/touch up my lathe bit when I'm done hogging off .250-.300.

 

[Prince NEO]

,

You know WAYYYYYYYY more about this stuff then I do, And I'm glad you didn't say I needed a model that was the size of an Iron Man helmet or bigger.

 

[JPolacchi]

Well,I wouldn't know how to sculpt the MIT emblem/ring that small.I'm sure(not 100% positive), but I think a similar process would be used to make such a ring,then molds obviously.I can't see how someone can scult something that small with that much sharp/crisp detail unless it wasa scalked up sculpt,then scaled down some way, but I know nothing of that industry.But, it could be laser etched,CNC'd,EDM'd anything.

 

[zenix]

i MIGHT give this a go... it looks hard but not impossible... anyone have information on the side image?

 

[Prince NEO]

These were the closest I could find:

http://alum.mit.edu/sites/default/files/migrated/benefits/images/Brass_Rat_233x275.jpg

And I haven't the slightest clue as to what the other side looks like.

 

[Prince NEO]

Here is a picture of the actual ring that propworx auctioned off.

 

[MooCriket]

I admire your dedication to this ring. I would love to have one as well.

 

[Megatron]

its a beaver...hmm

 

[Prince NEO]

Well if I'm super through and lucky and can find enough pictures, maybe we'll be luck to have you know who (God of rings) /\ do a run :angel

 

[clonesix]

This subject came up before. You don't actually have to graduate, or even attend the school to order a class ring. You don't order them through the school, you order them through the ring maker. It may be different with an Ivy League, but that is the way is is for every other campus in the country.

 

[Prince NEO]

Are you sure, I thought it worked like Highschool, you can order them but unless you get them from somewhere like Walmart, you have to get them from the company, and it has to be certain years.

Right now I'm trying to track down the freaking left side though.

 

[cannibal869]

Hi all,

I think I can add a little bit here...since I graduated in '96 :cool

The MIT class ring is affectionately called the "brass rat"... it's of course made of gold (or silver if you want), but people say it looks like brass. The rat is the beaver - guess the early designs were somewhat...uh...lacking in detail?? Newer classes even have the option of titanium I think. The key thing though is that every class makes their own ring design, so that each class is unique.

However it is designed, it always has certain characteristics: The front of the ring traditionally has a beaver (nature's engineer) holding a stick that transforms on one end into a rolled up diploma. The athena owl also usually makes an appearance somewhere on the "face" of the ring (Athena is the campus wide computer system used at MIT). On one side of the ring is the MIT seal (two engineers with a stack of books in the middle and the inscription "mens et manus" (which I think is supposed to mean hand and mind). On the opposite side of the ring is usually a design depicting the great dome of MIT either in side profile or in 3D (where all the students first enter). On the top side of the ring is a silhouette of the MIT skyline. On the bottom side of the ring is a silhouette of the Boston Skyline.

When you are an undergrad you wear the ring so that the beaver faces you. When you graduate, you rotate the ring so that the beaver faces the world. The official comment is that when you're at MIT, you want to look at the Boston skyline and think about going into the world. After you graduate, you rotate it around so you can reminisce about your days at MIT. The unofficial version is that while you're an undergrad the beaver sh*#! on you whereas after you graduate the beaver sh*#!s on the world

Anyhow, now that you know all that, you can in fact get a class ring made. Actually, any of the grad students can have them made as well. Harder though is to get an authentic replica of the class ring of a specific year, since the design changes from year to year.

Feel free to ask any other questions
-C

 

[Prince NEO]

Thank you very much, the details on the face totally skipped my mind while I was so lost in looking for the left side.

It's a very interesting and compelling piece that actually makes me want to find the other side of the ring even more.

It also helped me know what I'm looking for a little better, I had no idea that I was looking for the MIT dome, if you have any other information or even pictures of rings that would be helpful, and also, do you by chance remember the company that made the rings in '96?