The Carol Duvall Show camera crew visits the Flint, Mich., home of Bob and Debi Perry to focus on artwork the couple makes from century-old barn wood. Everything the Perrys' make, from benches to birdhouses and faux fireplaces, and even their company trailer, is made from barn wood. When they first started making wooden creations, business soared, even though the couple had no prior woodworking experience. They soon left their respective jobs and started the Rusty Nail Folk Art Company. Bob's ancestors built barns when they first arrived in the United States, so Bob and Debi want to save memories of the old barns in their woodwork. "They're tearing the barns down, so I'm re-making them," says Debi. "Nothing goes to waste. We recycle everything we pull out, from the nails to the hinges, everything. Even the windows are recycled." In the process of making the pieces, Bob takes the wood off of the barn, Debi pulls the nails from the wood and then the two of them collaborate to create a design. "It's kind of a team effort," Bob says. "She tells me the idea and I turn it into reality." Since the wood itself is somewhat historical, Debi finds many of design ideas in old publications such as Sears catalogs from the early 1900s. Making a faux fireplace is among the Perrys' favorite projects. Once the wood pieces are cut, the first step is to build the vertical columns for the fireplace. Bob places two boards together on edge and secures them with two-inch, 18-gauge brads. He then adds a third board to create a three-sided tunnel. Then the couple nail small pieces of wood inside the tunnel for support. They repeat this process for a second column and then attach a mantel piece and two small brackets and the end of each column to support a hearth. With the structural frame standing, Bob and Debi add another three-sided tunnel below the hearth and fill in the firebox with tongue-and-groove board. Working together continuously, Bob and Debi say they truly enjoy their time together making wooden art. "It's great working together," Debi says. "We never fight, we never argue, we never complain about each other. We love it."
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