Warsaw - What started as a hobby has become a full-time job for Charles Bell of Warsaw.Bell opened Western New York Aircraft Refinishers two years ago at Perry-Warsaw Airport.

"There's a lot to it and you want a happy customer when you're done," he said. Bell's business is located at a hangar near the airport's entrance.

It's not unusual to arrive at Aircraft Refinisher's hangar and find the door locked. That's because the hangar must keep a clean environment and it's temperature at or above 75 degrees for paint to dry and an open door could bring in specks of dust and dirt. Bell uses environmentally safe chemicals to strip planes of their paint. He can work on aluminum and fiberglass aircraft, from parts and segments to the total plane. Bell maintains a photo album of projects from start to finish. What comes in all scratched, chipped and corroded is transformed into looking brand new.

Refinishing airplanes is very labor intensive, Bell said. The work area is sealed off in plastic curtains. Areas that cannot be subjected to paints and solvents are masked off or wrapped in plastic. He and Susan climb into a space like suit, gloves and airmask to protect them from solvents that strip paint down to bare metal. Once the overall paint removal is done, they start the tedious work of removing every speck from every inch. They use fine wire brushes to clean every rivet - there are several thousands on each plane. this is where the petite Susan is most in demand because her fingers are so thin they can get at rivets in tight spaces. Any paint left behind won't make a good seal or cover properly when new paint is applied. the paint stripping process takes a week to finish. Then the plane's exterior is sanded.

Corroded areas get special treatments. All solvent is washed off and the Bells inspect the surfaces looking for specks of any kind. More cleaning ensures even the oils from their hands are removed. The hangar area is also swept and mopped in the relentless pursuit of renegade bits of paint and dust particles. "The key to refinishing is it has to be properly prepped," Bell said. A plane taken down to bare shiny metal is beautiful. Bell goes to his office coputer system to design the decals the customer wants. A special printer puts the design on a vinyl mask that is later applied to the plane. He works with the customer to pick the right color to paint the overall plane as well as special designs.

Aircraft Refinishers of Western New York is still giving tours to the curious of it's year old business in the newest hangar at Perry Warsaw Airport on Route 20A. Owners Charles and Susan Bell don't mind, they understand that theirs is a unique business but a vital one for anyone who owns a plane. It's a big attraction to have at an airport. Planes take a beating from the elements and require special treatment to refinish their exterior skins. Bell tinkered in the refinishing business while working the last 25 years as an industrial, then freelance engineer. Bell trained at DuPont's paint facility in Pennsylvania before earning the company's certification to carry it's product.

Bell invested a lot of time to ensure he met Environmental Protection AGency requirements with the solvents he uses to strip paint. The Bells have 3 children, Jenny, Ben and Chris. Until last year they lived in a bedroom community in northwest Indiana.

The family had previously lived in Warsaw and returned with plans to stay. "We always considered this area our home," Susan said. "There really isn't a nicer place than right here. There's a nicer pace of living and it's good for a family." Susan is a native of Rome, NY, so the return to the Empire State was a chance to be nearer her family. Charles also is brother to Dr. David Bell, known to many in the area for his work with K.B. Optical - University Eye Specialists.