Popular Woodworking 2003-11 № 137, страница 33

Great Woodshops

Heading for the

Hills

After years of teaching woodworking in Ohio, Lonnie Bird has moved to the Smokies to teach, write and build.

For 13 years Lonnie Bird was the head instructor for southeastern Ohio's University of Rio Grande woodworking program. He taught, built furniture and wrote books (all for Taunton Press) including "The Shaper Book," "The Bandsaw Book" and "Taunton's Complete Guide to Shaping Wood." He was recognized several times as one of the best craftsmen in the country by Early American Life Magazine. He led a good life.

Lonnie Bird's woodshop (front) is at the base of the Great Smokey Mountains in Dandridge,Tenn., and is connected to his home via a screened-in breezeway.

But about two years ago he and his family decided to chuck it all and build their dream home at the base of the Great Smokey Mountains in Dandridge, Tenn., which would include a woodshop where Bird could start a woodworking school. A risky venture, yes. But today, Bird thrives.

Nestled on 12 acres of rolling farmland, the Birds' home and woodshop seem far away from the neon-infused roadside warehouses selling fireworks and billboards advertising outlet malls one sees while driving there. Directions to his house include lines such as "turn left after Grace Baptist Church" and "cross the creek at the bottom of the hill."

Bird and his wife, Linda, chose Dandridge, which is about 20 miles east of Knoxville, for a couple of reasons. One, they love the mountains. Two, Knoxville is within a day's drive for 70 percent of the U.S. population. The home and woodshop are remote, yet accessible - an ideal location for a school.

Historical Context

Bird, a furniture maker for almost 30 years, remembers clearly his first visit to Colonial Williamsburg. He was 8 years old. The trip

sparked an interest in period furniture and from that point on, he started building things. He took a junior high shop class, which he says he enjoyed tremendously. His parents weren't woodworkers, but they supported his interest, allowing him to transform their basement into what he calls a "dusty, dirty shop." In high school, Bird made money by repairing antique furniture that was, literally, in pieces. Neighbors would buy old chairs and tables for little money, knowing he would be able to fix them.

Although his gig at University of Rio Grande has ended, Bird's prominence has only grown. He continues to write. His latest, "Taunton's Complete Illustrated Guide to Period Furniture Details," hits bookstores this fall. A book about tool techniques is scheduled to be released next year. He continues to build furniture for clients and his classes book months in advance. Bird calls his shop a flexible shop. Always a woodshop, it also serves as a school and photo studio.

by Kara Gebhart

Comments or questions? Contact Kara at 513-5312690 ext. 1348 or kara.gebhart@fwpubs.com.

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Popular Woodworking November 2003