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Bright idea: Westminster man make lamps from helmets
WESTMINSTER -- When Wayne Sanborn retired from Cushing Academy last June, he needed something to keep himself busy.
After 33 years as the school's athletic director, a year and a half as executive director of facilities, and two and a half years in the alumni development office, Sanborn knew he wasn't the kind of guy who could just sit around upon entering retirement.
"I knew I needed to find something to do," he said. "The transition was not easy."
For inspiration, he looked to his 15 years as head football coach at Cushing in Ashburnham. Within only a few days of beginning his retirement, the concept for his universal sports-helmet lamp was born.
"A football helmet, to most athletes, is a precious piece of equipment," Sanborn said. "It has a lot of memories attached to it, and it shouldn't just be thrown in the garage."
Rather than letting such an item collect dust in a box in the attic, Sanborn found a way to display it.
Working with his friend, contractor John Haley of Templeton, the two developed a prototype for a base made of golden oak. While Haley is a good craftsman, Sanborn said, he quickly found the endeavor to be far too involved for his small garage shop. Sanborn agreed to find a bigger vendor.
Sanborn knew he wanted all of the pieces of the lamp to be made in the U.S.
After much research, he sought out Bellcraft Woodworking Co., in Winchendon, which is now supplying him with golden oak, red mahogany and cherry bases.
For the piping, he developed a curved piece to accommodate the shape of the helmet, the patent for which is pending. Grand Brass Lamp Parts Inc. of West Haven, Conn., provides the curved steel, silver-plated pipes along with the harps, finials and sockets, which allow for three different levels of light, he said.
Sanborn said he originally wanted to use brass, but decided to go with a silver color because it would better match the hardware used in most sports helmets.
Nfl Team Helmets - News
Riddell then offered Sanborn a distributorship, giving him access to authentic and replica NFL and National Collegiate Athletic Association helmets with team logos. "Not only can players add their own helmets (to the lamp), they can ask me for helmets
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