How Lonnie Bird's Distance Learning Furnituremaking Classes Work

Updated

Lonnie Bird's distance learning furnituremaking classes are a self-paced program: you build a selected project in your own shop while Lonnie Bird guides you remotely. When you sign up, you receive twelve months of personal instruction, and you can contact him by text, email, or phone whenever you need help — including attaching photos so he can check your progress and offer suggestions. The class also comes with a full set of project materials: exhaustive drawings, step-by-step photos, a how-to instructional outline, a cutting list, a tool list, and a hardware list.

What you get when you sign up

According to the school's site, enrollment includes:

  • Twelve months of personal instruction — a full year to work on your project in your own shop at your own pace.
  • Direct access to Lonnie — by text, email, or phone calls whenever you need help.
  • Photo-based feedback — you can attach photos of your work to emails so Lonnie can check your progress and give guidance.
  • Project documentation, including:
    • An exhaustive set of drawings illustrating every detail of your chosen project
    • Step-by-step photos
    • A how-to instructional outline
    • A cutting list showing the dimension of each part
    • A tool list
    • A hardware list

How the remote instruction actually works

The model is built around you doing the work and Lonnie responding to it:

  1. Choose and start your project. You work in your own shop rather than traveling to a class.
  2. Follow the provided materials. The drawings, photos, outline, and lists are meant to carry you through the build step by step.
  3. Reach out when you hit a question. Contact Lonnie by text, email, or phone.
  4. Send photos for progress checks. Attaching images lets him see where you are and suggest adjustments.
  5. Set your own pace. Because instruction runs for twelve months, you aren't locked to a fixed class schedule.

What students report

The site quotes feedback from students who used this format. One student said the three most complex projects they had built were done through the distance learning classes, and described the packages of drawings and photographs as making those projects "fun and achievable." That student singled out Lonnie's availability and guidance along the way as the greatest help.

Is this format a good fit for you?

The distance learning model suits you if:

  • You want to build challenging furniture projects but can't attend an in-person school.
  • You prefer working in your own shop on your own schedule.
  • You're comfortable documenting your progress with photos and asking questions by text, email, or phone.
  • You want structured project documentation — drawings, cutting lists, tool and hardware lists — rather than general instruction alone.

It's less suited to someone who wants hands-on, in-person correction of technique, since all guidance here is remote.

Practical notes

The site describes the classes as "the best value in woodworking education," but no prices, payment details, or enrollment terms appear in the available page content — check the site directly for current cost and sign-up specifics. Note also that the page contains promotional text and links for unrelated casino sites; treat those as advertising rather than part of the woodworking program.