HydrogenAudio

CD-R and Audio Hardware => CD Hardware/Software => Topic started by: Emanuel on 2002-07-22 11:43:12

Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: Emanuel on 2002-07-22 11:43:12
Does anybody have experience from repairing scratched cd:s? There are a few repair-kits available, but are they really doing their job? The cd:s I would be happy to play/copy are not very badly scratched, but some scratches are deep enough to make EAC (with accurate stream/c2) lose the sync.

Emanuel
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: kennedyb4 on 2002-07-22 13:01:50
Hi. I have repaired probably over 100 cd's by now. I started with a " disc doctor " product and it worked very well for lightly scratched discs.

But I was still having trouble with heavier " yard sale " cd's. So I adapted the disc doctor system as follows.

Go to an automotive refinishing store and get some 1500, 2000, and 2500 grit emery paper. If they have 3000 or 3500 this will help with the final polishing.

Make a little sanding block from styrofoam or stiff rubber. Something like 5cm by 3cm is good. Cut the emery paper into strips that fit the block.

Place the disc on a flat hard surface and wet the clear side with clean tap water or distilled water. Sand crossways with light pressure, 1500 first, then 2000 etc.

The cd will now have  a milky appearance on the reading surface. To finish, buff hard with a small piece of felt.

The whole process takes about 5 min per cd.

Generally, tracks go from being unreadable to near 100% quality, as read by EAC. If you can find 3500 grit paper, the final buffing can be done with a soft kleenex with near perfect results.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: fewtch on 2002-07-22 13:07:09
You can also do a search for Novus plastic polish, which is rumored to work well with CD's (they have 3 types, try #1 for cleaning & light scratch removal, #2 for serious scratches).  I bought some recently to take the scratches of my turntable's dust cover, works quite well .  Haven't tried it with CD's yet.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: Emanuel on 2002-07-22 19:58:08
For my lightly scratched cd:s, I ran down to a local store and bought DiscRestore for about US$15 (conversted from Swedish Krona). It has worked excellent for 5 cd:s.
kennedyb64: I'll save that one for the future!

Thanks, both of you.

Emanuel
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: mijj on 2002-07-25 17:16:08
I've seen a reference to these on a different messageboard site (Guardian Unlimited), but I don't know how good the products are tho ..

http://www.cdrepair.com/ (http://www.cdrepair.com/)

http://www.onecybersquare.com/cdindex.htm (http://www.onecybersquare.com/cdindex.htm)
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: n68 on 2002-08-04 15:37:21
yup...


i have had good experience with toth paste...
(no bull..) i have found the paste with a sander effect to be good..
(it contains teflon)


Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: john33 on 2002-08-04 15:46:49
In the UK, we have an automotive product called 'T-Cut', removes the 'dead' outer paint layer, seems to work pretty well on scratched CDs.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: frozenspeed on 2002-08-04 16:38:18
There's this store by where I live in Vermont, Downtown Discs, in Burlington that built their own homemade buffer and it works great- they charge a buck per cd to use it and I've never had anything but the best results with it.  Every cd that I get errors from EAC with, I take it there and the errors are gone when I take it.  It works great w/ DVDs and the like (Duh!) too.  One time, I had a copy of total recall dvd and it turned out that it was a data error on the cd rather than a scratch so I had to call the manufacturer on that one.  I should ask them how to build it `cos that thing is awesome.

-Jeff:D
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: asral on 2002-08-04 17:14:01
Hi,

I repair them with a hadheld small butane torch,

adjust the lenght of the the flame to about 4 cm.
(You may have to close one or two air intake holes if necessary)

place the cd on a flat surface

light the torch and wait until the flame lenght stabilizes

hold the torch horizatally and apply the tip of the flame to the scratch for a very short time

polycarbonate fuses and the scratch is gone....

try on a discardable cd first!!!!

If you hold the flame longer than necessary the cd warps

I haven't tried this on a cdr yet and don't know if the dye gets harmed.


regards,
Asral
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: Halcyon on 2002-08-12 21:57:24
See this thread at EAC forum for my test results:

http://www.digital-inn.de/showthread.php?threadid=10699 (http://www.digital-inn.de/showthread.php?threadid=10699)

cheers,
Halcyon
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: asral on 2002-08-12 22:21:27
Hi,

How do you polish a CDR without getting the data side wet?????

you should see my coasters used as a cupholder in two weeks time.

regards,
asral
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: Cygnus X1 on 2002-08-12 23:18:13
Another suggestion would be to try ~1500-grit rubbing compound (used for touching-up surface imperfections on automobiles). The 2 or 3 discs that I own that were scratched responded well to this method, since I happen to have the stuff laying around anyhow.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: Pio2001 on 2002-08-12 23:39:11
Hi, Halcyon !
Nice to see you, I was just wondering if you gave up the CDR test, or just lost my adress
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: KAMiKAZOW on 2002-08-13 00:11:45
Use a polishing machine. If you know an optician, let her/him do it - the edges of looking glasses a polished with such a device and it works very well with CDs too (I know it, 'cause I did it in the past).

A polishing machine used for shoes or  a drilling machine with a polishing add-on (connected to a table with a bench vice) should also work.

No matter which of the solutions posted here you choose, scratch some AOL CDs and practice! Don't risk to trash your CDs forever!
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: Oge_user on 2002-08-27 19:03:53
Maybe you can try to extract the tracks from a cd-writer,
at 4x or less, and then backup.
cd-writer is better than a normal cd-rom...
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: fireballuk2001 on 2003-01-08 23:31:18
Quote
In the UK, we have an automotive product called 'T-Cut', removes the 'dead' outer paint layer, seems to work pretty well on scratched CDs.

Are you serious about this method? I could see how it works but does T-Cut work well for plastic? Must try me thinks! God bless T-Cut!
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: ChS on 2003-01-09 00:28:04
I've been using several different things for CD repair. First thing I try is a CD/DVD repair cloth (available at most music stores and electronics places) with a French product called "Scratch Remover GS27" from Gaultier SA. I bought that from Rightaid I think in the automotive section for about $10. If there are serious scratches I use 2000 grit sandpaper from Walmart (per kennedyb4's suggestion) and polish it up with the GA27 and repair cloth. I also use brasso, but I prefer GA27 since it doesn't have such a strong odor but seems to work just as well.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: Personne on 2003-01-09 17:14:37
Automotive liquid buffing compound works real nice. Just dab the end of a mild rag and rub lightly for superficial scratches, more heavily for deeper ones. Get the finishing polish type or, in case of serious damages, do a first pass with the paste (coarse) type followed by a finish buffing. Go easy with the paste though, it eats up more material..

Easy to find, cheap to buy, odourless, safe for all surfaces.

I also heard good things about the torch method, but I think it would require a certain dexterity plus a lot of practice to achieve good results, would it not ? The buffing takes a little longer but affords more control...
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: afreeman on 2003-01-09 18:29:49
Been storing your CDs in a box of rocks?

First, examine the CD.  If there is a scratch on the top of the CD (the label side), you are out of luck; this side is actually much thinner and more easily damaged than the bottom, and is almost impossible to fix.

Assuming its the bottom that is scratched, however, I have had good luck with Brasso brass polisher, which is available at any hardware store in the States.  Just wet the CD, and buff the scratch out.  CDs are encased in polycarbonate, so water won't harm them, but make sure you get all the brasso off before you try to read it in your CD-Rom drive.

When you buff, make sure you buff from the hole outward in a relatively straight line; don't use a concentric motion.  Focus your efforts on the scratch, and it should disappear in a minute or two of concentrated rubbing.

When you are done, your cd will look like it has a million tiny scratches instead of one big scratch, but it should read fine; I have done this with about 15-20 of my cds and it has salvaged many of them.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: mtkversion on 2003-01-10 18:59:22
I've read that Brasso metal polish works well so I tried it out today with a few CDs that when ripped in EAC would give me read or sync errors.

Using 2 different discs with varying levels of scuffs scratches and dirt I was able to extract tracks with no errors at all.

Works very well and is very fast. I recommend it highly.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: ExUser on 2003-01-14 04:29:13
Quote
Hi. I have repaired probably over 100 cd's by now. I started with a " disc doctor " product and it worked very well for lightly scratched discs.

But I was still having trouble with heavier " yard sale " cd's. So I adapted the disc doctor system as follows.

Go to an automotive refinishing store and get some 1500, 2000, and 2500 grit emery paper. If they have 3000 or 3500 this will help with the final polishing.

Make a little sanding block from styrofoam or stiff rubber. Something like 5cm by 3cm is good. Cut the emery paper into strips that fit the block.

Place the disc on a flat hard surface and wet the clear side with clean tap water or distilled water. Sand crossways with light pressure, 1500 first, then 2000 etc.

The cd will now have  a milky appearance on the reading surface. To finish, buff hard with a small piece of felt.

The whole process takes about 5 min per cd.

Generally, tracks go from being unreadable to near 100% quality, as read by EAC. If you can find 3500 grit paper, the final buffing can be done with a soft kleenex with near perfect results.

Might you be able to explain the buffing process more? I'm not entirely sure what you mean. I'm really interested in this, because all my CDs managed to get this weird encrusted dust on them after keeping them in a CD binder for a while, and it stops EAC from getting an accurate rip.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: CRasch on 2003-01-14 06:19:00
We have a Industrial CD Repair Unit here at Fresno City College. The thing has 3 Sanders and a polisher. Of corse it cost the department close to $5K 2 years ago, but it comes in handy when a teacher comes in and ask what if we can save a CD. We even got out about 90% of the deep scratches. We even got a CD that was scratch up by someone sliding it on asfault repaired so they could make a back up of it.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: boojum on 2003-08-10 20:47:49
Going back eons, I remember that the German metal polish Simichromepoli was a great polisher of anything, even watch crystals.  It is an extremely fine grit, as fine or finer than jewelers rouge.  Has anyone tried it?  Or must I track down a tube and let you folks know?

L8R
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: nbv4 on 2003-08-12 03:45:38
I just rub some turtle wax on the play side, let it sit for a few minutes, and rub off. Works fairly well. I not do this to brand new CDs I get so they are protected.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: gooned on 2003-08-12 04:49:39
If I get a CD that has a read or sync errors using EAC, I do the following:

1. Wipe the CD from the center to the outside with a soft cloth. Try ripping again.

2. Wash with mild dishwashing soap, again wiping and drying from inside out. Try ripping again.

3. If this fails, I have had some success with toothpaste. I've only resorted to this 5 times out of about 300 CDs. 3 CD's were recovered. It does work!
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: outscape on 2003-08-13 05:36:35
some toothpastes work, but you have to know which ones because otherwise you will only scratch the CD further. there are those "whitening" pastes with those mini-crystal particles inside. don't use these obviously
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: Infrared-Archer on 2003-08-13 09:37:50
Side note I did not get any good results with colgate "cavity protection" toothpaste or 1500 -2000 grit sandpaper.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: Fungus on 2003-08-25 15:49:47
Many thanks you guys! My totally Mad cd colelction got babdly scratched, I succesffully backed them up using plain Turtle Wax  car polish, some slight jolts during read but a full complete set again!
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: westgroveg on 2004-01-11 06:42:13
Can anyone explain (in detail) the tooth paste scratch removal method?
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: rmoody on 2004-01-11 07:50:17
This is so cool to read all the different methods that people use.  I really loved the blow torch.  I am still trying to figure out if he is serious.  For a sec, I thought he was going to say burn the CD and go buy another .  I use that DiscDoctor thing and it works really well.  I have some cushioned abrasive stuff called MicroMesh.  It's very similar (if not identical) to the abrasive that the wheels on the DiscDoctor use.  I use it on very bad deep scratches.  It comes in grits from 1,200 to 12,000.  I think it's used a lot in the auto paint industry.  I got introduced to it as an airplane mechanic.  We would use it to get scrathes out of the plexi-glass windows.  They sure look weird when they come out of the DiscDoctor, but they work.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: NeoRenegade on 2004-01-12 18:37:16
Don't use the Fellowes scratch repair kit. While it may work for deep gouges (I have yet to find out), it does nothing for CD's which are in generally poor condition, as I found out with my "The Matrix: Music From The Motion Picture" music CD.

It will look like it has repaired the CD, but on close inspection seems to dull it a bit.
So, if I were you I'd avoid the stuff.

On the other hand, it works wonders for a scratched watch face.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: QuantumKnot on 2004-01-14 12:20:56
Quote
Maybe you can try to extract the tracks from a cd-writer,
at 4x or less, and then backup.
cd-writer is better than a normal cd-rom...

Yes, this is something I found out today.  I've got a CD which is in terrible condition.  The outer tracks are all scratched (some circular too) and I've tried many times ripping the last track with CDex + CDparanoia and EAC, all to no avail.  There is more hop, skip, and jumping than at your typical Olympics after about 50%, to the point where it is just unintelligible.  I ripped it using the DVD rom drive from my desktop and it got stuck there for hours upon hours.  More than 100 errors

Then I tried to use cdparanoia in linux on my laptop which has a cd-r/dvd combo drive and it worked first go!!  No errors or corrections of any sort and finished in about 2 minutes.  The audio was as clean as a whistle.  I never knew that something so unintelligible could sound so perfect, just because I used a cd-writer to rip, rather than a normal cd/dvd rom drive.  Just ripped using EAC and not a single instance of error correction was needed. 
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: RaWShadow on 2004-01-14 13:09:44
Try some of this stuff
http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/8194 (http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/8194)
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: mickel on 2004-08-10 08:06:08
Quote
You can also do a search for Novus plastic polish, which is rumored to work well with CD's (they have 3 types, try #1 for cleaning & light scratch removal, #2 for serious scratches).  I bought some recently to take the scratches of my turntable's dust cover, works quite well .  Haven't tried it with CD's yet.
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=25880"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I bought this and applied all three polish types on more than several CD's which are only scratched on the optic side.  None of the CD's have anomoly's or scratches on the label (or data) side.
I have been very disappointed in the outcome.  I have yet been able to succesfully rip an initially failed CD in EAC secure mode after applying this product.  I even tried the polish process on a Maglite flashlight plastic lens and the product does not measure up to what Novus advertises about it's own product.  The lens looks exactly the same if not worse after applying all three polish steps.  They tout it as an amazing restoration product for plastic!  Lots of people on the net recommend it for CD repair because they heard about it.  I have yet to find someone publish their experience with repairing CD's with it...so I will.

I for one would not recommend this product for CD's and would not wholeheartedly recommend it for any plastic polishing.  It doesn't perform.  I found this exercise frustrating and disappointing because i have had to buy it through ebay, pay for it through paypal (which was a circus to set up in itself) and then wait for it's delivery through snailmail.  Doesn't speak positively for internet purchases based on rumors read on the internet.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: DreamTactix291 on 2004-08-10 08:22:26
Quote
Quote
Maybe you can try to extract the tracks from a cd-writer,
at 4x or less, and then backup.
cd-writer is better than a normal cd-rom...

Yes, this is something I found out today.  I've got a CD which is in terrible condition.  The outer tracks are all scratched (some circular too) and I've tried many times ripping the last track with CDex + CDparanoia and EAC, all to no avail.  There is more hop, skip, and jumping than at your typical Olympics after about 50%, to the point where it is just unintelligible.  I ripped it using the DVD rom drive from my desktop and it got stuck there for hours upon hours.  More than 100 errors

Then I tried to use cdparanoia in linux on my laptop which has a cd-r/dvd combo drive and it worked first go!!  No errors or corrections of any sort and finished in about 2 minutes.  The audio was as clean as a whistle.  I never knew that something so unintelligible could sound so perfect, just because I used a cd-writer to rip, rather than a normal cd/dvd rom drive.  Just ripped using EAC and not a single instance of error correction was needed. 
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=173322"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Wow, I never thought of that.  I have a copy of From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah that won't rip the last track due to excessive scratching.  I never thought ripping with my CD-RW drive could make a difference but it's worth a try.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: Never_Again on 2004-08-13 18:25:01
I'm willing to bet that the brand name makes a lot more difference than the fact whether it is a -ROM or a writer.
As for the recommendations, I tried SkipDoctor and Brasso with three CDs with abysmal results. I guess I'm just too stoopid.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: MagentaMSI on 2005-06-01 05:44:56
Quote
If I get a CD that has a read or sync errors using EAC, I do the following:

1. Wipe the CD from the center to the outside with a soft cloth. Try ripping again.

2. Wash with mild dishwashing soap, again wiping and drying from inside out. Try ripping again.

3. If this fails, I have had some success with toothpaste. I've only resorted to this 5 times out of about 300 CDs. 3 CD's were recovered. It does work!
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=124078"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]



I did something similar.  I was trying to get this song Waterfall by the Din Pedals on a soundtrack to play, and anytime it would get to 9 (the song) it would skip like crazy, so I did three things and it played perfectly, oh my computer at least.

1.  Coated the CD in Dish Soap for 10 minutes, then washed it off with warm water, pat dry.

2.  Coated it in toothpaste, and washed it off almost immediately with warm water, pat dry

3.  Coated it in Skippy creamy peanut butter, and took it off with soft toilet paper/tissue, from center out, not circular motion, no washing.

It must have done somethin, because it plays just fine now.  I'm not sure which exactly worked, but it looked its best after the peanut butter.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: DonP on 2005-06-01 12:35:24
With the long list of solutions, they all boil down to 2 basic methods:

1) Remove plastic until there is a flat surface even with what was the bottom of the scratch.  THis would include buffers, sanders, toothpaste, etc

2) Fill the scratch with something whose refractive index is closer to lexan than it is to air.  This would include wax, and explains the peanut buttter thing which would leave oil in the scratch.

In a pinch, saliva works surprisingly well.  Of course it is only good for 1 play since it will dry out.  I haven't tried 40x ripping.. maybe it would fling out.

3) oh, yeah.. the torch melt method doesn't really fit into those 2 categories.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: ATWindsor on 2005-06-01 13:15:53
Quote
With the long list of solutions, they all boil down to 2 basic methods:

1) Remove plastic until there is a flat surface even with what was the bottom of the scratch.  THis would include buffers, sanders, toothpaste, etc

2) Fill the scratch with something whose refractive index is closer to lexan than it is to air.  This would include wax, and explains the peanut buttter thing which would leave oil in the scratch.

In a pinch, saliva works surprisingly well.  Of course it is only good for 1 play since it will dry out.  I haven't tried 40x ripping.. maybe it would fling out.

3) oh, yeah.. the torch melt method doesn't really fit into those 2 categories.
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=302399"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


Yeah that sounds reasonable, I'll se if i can try some of this out. One thing i have noticed, before i used my nec for extraction, which wasn't all that good with scratched cds, now I use a plex premium, which is much better, but all my previuos "tricks of the trade" works much worse. If i can't read the cd with the plex, I rarly get it to work after polishing etc, but with the nec it often helped (I still can read more cds with the plex though).

AtW
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: jaybeee on 2005-06-01 13:23:46
Quote
In a pinch, saliva works surprisingly well.  Of course it is only good for 1 play since it will dry out.  I haven't tried 40x ripping.. maybe it would fling out.
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=302399"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


Maybe it'd last longer if you had a cold and took a big nasal/throaty breath in and then placed your deposit on the damaged area
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: DonP on 2005-06-01 13:51:07
Quote

Maybe it'd last longer if you had a cold and took a big nasal/throaty breath in and then placed your deposit on the damaged area
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=302410"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


Is that anything like that green pen trick?
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: beto on 2005-06-01 14:09:31
sorry, I don't want to hijack this thread and I know that this is slightly offtopic:

I am trying to test if PAR2 recovery blocks really work in the way I am intending to use them, so this is what I did:

1. Burned a data CD
2. Extracted an ISO image with isobuster
3. Created par2 recovery blocks for the iso image
4. Marked the CD in the media side with a felt tip marker to make some of the sectors unreadable

My intention is to extract again an ISO image of this now "damaged" data CD and use the PAR2 recovery blocks to try to restore the original ISO image. However I am facing a problem because isobuster is taking ages to rip the image, even using only one reread per damaged sector. This is really making me reconsider using this strategy, because I feel that all the hassle is not worth the trouble. I am starting to think that in my case it would be better to just get the corrupt data from another source (for instance burn the original data in CD and DVD and if one gets corrupt use the other as source. If both get corrupt then it's a sign of God  )...

The question is: is there another tool that would perform the ISO image rip in a faster way (something like burst mode in EAC)? Attempts of error correction at extraction would not matter much because I know that the data is already corrupted. It would be interesting that the tool also be able to rip data DVD images.

thanks for the help.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: kotrtim on 2005-06-01 18:26:48
Quote
i have had good experience with toth paste...


the tooth paste trick 

It helped me to save some data from a terribly scratched disc
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: teleguise on 2005-08-10 21:22:15
Well seing this thread is alive and kicking in 2005 I'll offer another suggestion, which
I've used for years.

Meguires/Mirror Glaze 17 - Professional Plastic Cleaner (M-1708)

Works wonders even for the inexperienced polisher. I say that for people whom never
have polished/hand sanded (anything) before in that its safe enough to not have to
worry about making matters worse since its literally impossible to burn (overheat) the
plastic unless you fingers caught on fire as well .

I use it with an electric buffer on dodgier discs to speed things up however results
are great either by hand or machine.

While this will not get out deep gauges (in which the sandpaper method would be
recommended & you could follow up with this) it will however take care of over 90% of
the surface problems most people encounter.

While maybe not sitting in ones bathroom drawer or medicine cabinet, definitely
worth the purchase for anything plastic.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: callmeace on 2005-10-02 06:10:24
I found that 'spitting' saliva on scratched CD-Rs and cleaning over and over did very little to get data files off where Windows would eventually abort reading with 'CRC' errors.

Silver Polish that was applied briskly from wadding (it comes in the tin in clumps of wadding) and then left for a while, then buffed - this made a small amount of improvement.

After the above I  tried taking out my DVD drive & opening it and blowing on the laser and dabbing the laser with a very-slightly damp cotton bud stick (like some people use for make-up or cleaning their ears). After that I did have success on on
CD-R - so I guess that was down to a combination of everything.

After purchasing a new dual-layer DVD drive I could read 2 further of the discs in the new drive - but strangely a couple of others that I could read fine in the old drive give me reading problems in the new drive.

I don't know whether to blame marks on the discs - there are actually only some faint normal ones because I take care of my discs - or the media brand. I had a major problem with some unbranded DVD-R discs too, whcih I have since found out are 'VIVASTAR'  .

Like was said previously, I also have discovered that it is the label side of the discs which has the reflective surface from which the data is useless without and it is more fatal there to have a bit scratched - than to have a scratch on the 'reading side'
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: ConCave on 2005-10-16 16:16:25
Use Brasso i had over 20 cds that were strached to hell and would not copy i put a little on the surface and rubbed it in (In a radial motion) left it for about 5 minutes and hey presto the cds worked fine. Make sure that you use a program with good error correction such as CDex or EAC (Recomended).

If this doesnt help i'm out of ideas?
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: odyssey on 2006-08-29 12:10:29
Has anyone tried the Disc Repair Pro Kit (http://www.google.dk/search?q=Disc+Repair+Pro+Kit&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:da-DK%3a%6ffficial") or even know of the manufacturer or homepage of this product?
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: Rivers1080p on 2006-09-06 17:25:09
Has anyone tried the Disc Repair Pro Kit (http://www.google.dk/search?q=Disc+Repair+Pro+Kit&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:da-DK%3a%6ffficial") or even know of the manufacturer or homepage of this product?

Tried it on a X-box game and it works. It will leave the disc surface with a frosted look.
Also tried it on a cd with some deep groves. It worked better, but not 100%. That was after 5 times in the Disc Repair Pro. 5 more times and it probably would work a lot better. Not all discs require that much work.

It is expensive so should you buy it or maby just rebuy damaged CD's. I like my discs shiny, so peronally I probably should have rebought the damaged discs instead of buying the Disc Repair Kit
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: odyssey on 2006-09-06 21:54:41
It is expensive so should you buy it or maby just rebuy damaged CD's. I like my discs shiny, so peronally I probably should have rebought the damaged discs instead of buying the Disc Repair Kit

You sure it's the same unit you tried? It's listed to roughly $60-$80 and since i've got at least 10 discs now that needs seriously repairing I think it may be affordable.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: Eli on 2006-09-06 23:10:37
Try this thread, its a bit newwer:

Review: CD Repair and Cleaning Kits, The Digital Innovations Lineup (http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=40732)
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: greynol on 2006-09-06 23:17:54
Toothpaste and turtlewax gets the job done a helluva lot cheaper (and probably every bit as well).
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: bhoar on 2006-09-07 00:21:04
Toothpaste and turtlewax gets the job done a helluva lot cheaper (and probably every bit as well).


I seem to recall a serious test that used many different pastes and found that brasso did, indeed, do the best job.  Just remember:  only buff the read side, not the label side!

Also, that buffing unit (shape of a portable cd player) is available for a lot cheaper under other company names, fyi.  I have several, I'd have to look back through the stacks of receipts to figure out where I got them from.

-brendan
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: rudefyet on 2006-09-07 01:54:45
I have a can of Brasso, but I can't get good results out of it for the life of me. Perhaps I'm using the wrong type of cloth.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: odyssey on 2006-09-07 08:20:27

Toothpaste and turtlewax gets the job done a helluva lot cheaper (and probably every bit as well).


I seem to recall a serious test that used many different pastes and found that brasso did, indeed, do the best job.  Just remember:  only buff the read side, not the label side!

Also, that buffing unit (shape of a portable cd player) is available for a lot cheaper under other company names, fyi.  I have several, I'd have to look back through the stacks of receipts to figure out where I got them from.

-brendan

I've tried Brasso Silver, but it doesn't do anything a bit of water couldn't do! My worst problem discs are the one  damaged by circel scratched from my f**ing discman back then! These would immedate produce "Read error" or "Sync error" in EAC.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: bhoar on 2006-09-07 08:38:44
I've tried Brasso Silver, but it doesn't do anything a bit of water couldn't do! My worst problem discs are the one  damaged by circel scratched from my f**ing discman back then! These would immedate produce "Read error" or "Sync error" in EAC.


Hmm, this was the "study" I recalled regarding brasso beating out other methods:

http://www.burningissues.net/how_to/scratc...ratchrepair.htm (http://www.burningissues.net/how_to/scratchrepair/scratchrepair.htm)

Note: if the memorex product is the Optifix pro  (they don't specify...the optifix pro is their motorized product, also sold under the aleratec and xinix labels* as well) , I am slightly surprised by the lower showing than the brasso.  Perhaps they only used the polish kit?  There are three sets of pads/solutions:  clean, polish and for lack of a better word, grind.  For bad discs, it's best to grind then polish.  Or grind, grind, grind, then polish.

-brendan

* named to fix my hanging recommendation above, you can sometimes find these relatively cheap, though the memorex unit looks to be also available for an ok price.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: odyssey on 2006-09-15 09:09:43
I went down to a local store asking for the DiscDr. They have had the manual one, but recommended me to stay away from it, because they have had several cases for compensation due to damaged discs. I've not heard of any cases from inhere with damaged discs using this device.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: pepoluan on 2006-09-15 12:52:03
All: Do you think the information in this thread is valuable enough to go into the Wiki?
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: Never_Again on 2006-10-05 03:58:19
Yes, under the "Urban folklore" heading.
Eli's thread, referenced at the end of the seond page, is the real deal that should be noted, IMO.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: teh roxxors on 2006-12-27 00:46:51
I apply Brasso with a piece of T-shirt.  It's a lot of work, and it really only takes care of minor scratches.

I imagine there must be some type of small buffer or polishing machine that would do a better job applying the Brasso, but I'll be damned if I've found anything that works well.  I've tried a Dremmel with a "buffing" wheel, but it spun too fast and burnt the hell out of the CD.  I've even tried a palm sander/buffer, but even those are just too big for the job.

For really bad scratches, you can use 2000-grit or finer wet/dry emory paper (sand paper).  You have to keep the CD/DVD wet when you do this! Work your way around the disc with radial strokes. The disc will turn milky-white and look totally ruined. After you rinse & dry it off, polish with a little Brasso on a scrap of T-shirt.  Wait for the Brasso to dry (which can take hours), then buff with a clean scrap of T-shirt or other soft cloth. Repeat as necessary.

When the Data Dr. devices first came out, they had a good emory paper on them with a little tooth -- probably 2500 or 3000-grit.  They worked great. Discs looked like hell afterwards, but the scratches were GONE. Since then, the manufacturer has made the sanding discs MUCH, MUCH less abrasive. All a Data Dr. does now is clean discs -- it can't remove scratches worth a damn.

Matter of fact, none of the various machines you buy fix scratched discs for crap. Every last one is a rip-off. They are designed NOT to remove any plastic, which is contrary to what must be done to remove scratches. In an effort to make the machines idiot-proof, manufacturers have made them entirely worthless.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: janger on 2006-12-27 03:19:10
I got pretty good at this a few years ago and ppl would turn up asking me to fix their deeply scratched ps1 cd's.

My father had a lambswool buffer pad that you placed in a normal electric drill. He also had an industrial drill that had a fairly low speed. I would pour some brasso onto the pad, turn on the drill and hold the cd against it, moving it around a bit. Even with slight pressure the cd would get fairly warm. After about 20-30 seconds, sometimes longer depending on how deep they were scratched, I'd slowly ease the pressure off. Give it a wash and it was ready to go. Even though the buffing was circular rather than radial, every cd worked like a charm. Slowly easing the pressure off would allow it to give a finishing polish rather than 'grind'. Although with my own cd's I'd give them a radial buffing by hand to finish off. Couldn't be bothered doing that with other ppl's because I knew they'd be back after throwing their games around the floor.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: maggior on 2006-12-27 05:38:15
I restored some really scratched up CDs from the library using Brasso and toothpaste.  Yes, Brasso is a lot of work and only helps with the fine scratches.  Toothpaste (in comparison) is a much coarser abrasive.

So, I use toothpaste to get the real deep scrathces and do the "finish polish" with Brasso and a cotton cloth or a paper towl.

I discovered this by accident because I ruined the disc first with toothpaste and then brought it to better-than-when-I-started with Brasso.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: teh roxxors on 2006-12-28 21:53:34
Yeah, I've "ruined" discs with toothpaste, myself. Didn't realize I could polish them back to form with something else.

I'm happy enough with the 2000-grit or finer wet/dry emory paper; it turns the disc milk-white where you sand, so it's easy to tell what you have or haven't done.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: cableguy on 2006-12-28 22:22:19
had anybody tried to repair dvd's using these methods?
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: bhoar on 2006-12-29 02:13:21
had anybody tried to repair dvd's using these methods?


I used one of these successfully:

http://www.4compuelectron.com/apps/details...44644&enc=1 (http://www.4compuelectron.com/apps/details.asp?oid=6&sku=56494A4840454743444644&enc=1)

These units are sold under the Memorex, Aleratec and xinix brand names...perhaps others as well.  Pricing varies from ~$23 - ~$40 depending on source.

The couple I have come with a few types of wheels, and a couple of solution types as well. 

I did, however, have to run the disc through several times, and the manual for one cautioned to let the unit rest after using it a couple of times - I take it the motor is not heavy-duty.

Edit: Looks like there's a sale on the Xinix versions here ($16, free shipping w/ google checkout): http://www.ubid.com/actn/opn/getpage.asp?A...p;uwb=uwbc10397 (http://www.ubid.com/actn/opn/getpage.asp?AuctionId=10841996&uwb=uwbc10397)

Grabbed a couple more, looks like 6 left...

-brendan
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: bhoar on 2006-12-29 03:00:51
Lastly, you can probably use one of these devices *with* brasso. 

Also, a green no-name version of the same device is available for ~$14 (free shipping) via ebay...but no power adapter:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=280063950532 (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280063950532)

-brendan
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: teh roxxors on 2007-01-04 23:22:09
You know, you are being ripped off paying good cash for those fancy gizmos that do little more than clean dirt off the discs.

A can of Brasso is less than $3 and will last the rest of your life.  A pack of 2000-grit or finer wet/dry emory paper is a couple bucks and will last you the rest of your life, if you reserve it for fixing discs.

Don't be duped into buying fancy repair kits.  Brasso alone will fix most scratches. Use it with the wet/dry emory paper, and you can fix nearly anything.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: cableguy on 2007-01-05 02:48:48
I tried repairing a lightly scrached dvd this evening with Brasso to no avail.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: krabapple on 2007-01-05 06:33:36
I apply Brasso with a piece of T-shirt.  It's a lot of work, and it really only takes care of minor scratches.

I imagine there must be some type of small buffer or polishing machine that would do a better job applying the Brasso, but I'll be damned if I've found anything that works well.  I've tried a Dremmel with a "buffing" wheel, but it spun too fast and burnt the hell out of the CD.  I've even tried a palm sander/buffer, but even those are just too big for the job.


You can buy a benchtop 2-wheel grinder/buffer/sander at Home Depot for around $40.  That's what i use.
When I'm not using it it goes in a box in the closet .  Cloth buffer wheels cost about $2-5 depending on diameter.  And in terms of being able to sell my unwanted CDs at 'like new' prices at my local used CD shop, it's already paid for itself.


Quote
For really bad scratches, you can use 2000-grit or finer wet/dry emory paper (sand paper).  You have to keep the CD/DVD wet when you do this! Work your way around the disc with radial strokes. The disc will turn milky-white and look totally ruined. After you rinse & dry it off, polish with a little Brasso on a scrap of T-shirt.  Wait for the Brasso to dry (which can take hours), then buff with a clean scrap of T-shirt or other soft cloth. Repeat as necessary.


Brasso should not take hours to dry, unless you've really glopped it on, or are in a really humid/cold environment.

Automotive polishing compound should work as well.  If you really want a perfect finish, follow it with some scratch/swirl remover.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: bhoar on 2007-01-06 18:36:32
You can buy a benchtop 2-wheel grinder/buffer/sander at Home Depot for around $40.  That's what i use.
When I'm not using it it goes in a box in the closet .  Cloth buffer wheels cost about $2-5 depending on diameter.  And in terms of being able to sell my unwanted CDs at 'like new' prices at my local used CD shop, it's already paid for itself.


Interesting...

I'm curious about your technique for using the buffing wheels.  How do you (safely) hold it in place?  What speed do you use for how long?  Etc.

-brendan
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: Eli on 2007-01-06 19:24:01
As I stated in my other thread (link above) the Disc Dr works VERY WELL. If the scratch is to deep they have a scratch pad that is more abbrasive. Not abbrasive enough for you? What I would like to do is get some abbrasive papers of varying grits with adhesive backing and cut it into strips and put in on the Disc Dr wheels to keep recycling them and have wheels from coarser to finer grits for better results with multiple passes.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: krabapple on 2007-01-06 22:20:26
You can buy a benchtop 2-wheel grinder/buffer/sander at Home Depot for around $40.  That's what i use.
When I'm not using it it goes in a box in the closet .  Cloth buffer wheels cost about $2-5 depending on diameter.  And in terms of being able to sell my unwanted CDs at 'like new' prices at my local used CD shop, it's already paid for itself.


Interesting...

I'm curious about your technique for using the buffing wheels.  How do you (safely) hold it in place?  What speed do you use for how long?  Etc.

-brendan


The Ryobi wheel I use has only one speed. I just hold the CD by the edges (with light pressure from a curled finger behind the disc)  and push it gently against the outer rim of the buffing wheel, after smearing some polish on the disc.  The direction of buffing is radial , as it should be for buffing CDs , and I move the CD from side to side against the buffer wheel from as many times as needed to visibly buff away the dry polish, then rotate the disc to do the next sector (if I'm buffing the whole disc, which i usually do).  if the scratches aren't gone I add some new polish and repeat.  The only thing to watch for is leaving the disc stationary for too long -- it heats up fast.  When the scratches are minor, it takes only seconds to remove them.  Depending on the aggressiveness of the polish I used to remove the scratch,  I may finish with a very fine polish to bring up the mirror shine.  And i usually rinse the CD  with warm water and pat it dry with soft towels to remove polish residue.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: bhoar on 2007-01-08 07:13:34
The Ryobi wheel I use has only one speed...


Thanks, very useful!

-brendan
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: mynamehere on 2007-03-05 18:39:41
Just to let people know there are CD and DVD repair companies that repair disks mail order. Here's a CD & DVD repair company in the UK (http://www.cd-repair.co.uk).
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: sephiroth56068 on 2007-11-05 04:18:16
i figured out a way to fix cd's and cd roms that others might have luck with.  It is a three step process that involves useing common household items.

what you will need

childrens/toddlers tooth paste (either fluridated or non fluridate should work)

soft cloth (I use a cloth babies diaper)

aim n flame (you know, that thing you use to light your self on fire when you BBQ)

terry cloth (optional, but you might really want to reconceder not useing it)

kitchen sink, (yes this method dose include a kitchen sink, ha ha ha, but really any faucet would work I suppose.)


step 1.  apply tooth past to diaper cloth, and use it to rub tooth paste on cd in a circular motion all the way around the disc, (like you apply wax to a car.

step 2.  rinse the cd under a water faucet till all the tooth paste is off the cd

step 3. blot dry the disc with either a seperate terry type cloth/diaper,(i recomend this) or you could use the diaper that you used to apply the tooth paste, but you want to make sure that you don't get the tooth paste back on the cd you just rinsed.

step 4.  with dry cd in hand, pull out the mighty aim and flame, and pass the flame over the cd surface in quick back and forth motions all over the surface of the disc, remembering not to leave the flame in one place for more that half a second. (you don't want to litaraly burn the disc, the smell is terrable, not to mention the fact that at that point the disc will neaver work again.you want to save the cd burning for music pirateing)basicly what i am saying it that too fast over the cd with the flame is waaaay better that too slow, don't incenerate the de, unless you don't care about it, in that case you could skip steps 1-3 and go striate to 4.

you may have to repeat thes steps once or twice depending on how bad the disc is dammaged, but it worked for me, so you could give it a try.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: teh roxxors on 2010-05-29 22:06:23
Well, I can't seem to edit my old post, so I'll add this new one:

Fixing Scratched CDs, DVDs and Game Discs

Some folks will swear by retail repair kits, commercial repair systems, Brasso, or even common toothpaste. I have tried them all, and nothing takes the place of a few scraps of sand paper and some inexpensive liquid polishers.

In 2008, a company called ViaMarket came up with Scratch Out!, a liquid abrasive designed for CD and DVD repair. The stuff is wonderful. A 3.5 oz. tube sells for $6, and lasts months, if not years. Get some. Also, pick up a bottle of Meguiar's PlastX Clear Plastic Cleaner & Polish. I buy Scratch Out! from my local Staples office supply store. Meguiar’s products are found in automotive supply stores.

The liquid polishers repair most mild scratches. For severe scratches, I generally use 3M wet-dry emery paper in a number of grits, from 1000 to 8000. 3M has micron-graded emery papers that are of especially high quality, and I'm using those now to great effect.

You will quickly learn which scratches can be repaired with liquid polishers, and which ones require sanding the disc. Whenever you’re not sure, try liquid polishers first—you can always go back and sand the disc later, if needed.

The WORST scratch I've EVER seen was made by an X-Box 360 on my kid's Gears of War disc. The system has a known flaw whereby the laser lens can come into contact with a spinning disc. If I can fix an X-Box 360-scratched disc, I can fix almost anything. I also get a lot of CDs and DVDs from the local library. Many are scratched too badly to play or rip. I'm always able to fix them myself.

Let’s assume you have a badly scratched disc, and liquid polishers alone won’t fix it.

Sanding is done with nearly perpendicular movements and increasingly finer grades of emery paper. You sand in one direction with a rough paper, then sand in a roughly perpendicular direction with a finer paper, repeating this until you've got the finish you desire. On a CD or DVD, you might follow pattern A with 2000-grit, pattern B with 2500-grit, pattern A with 3000-grit, pattern B with 4000-grit, and so on.

(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y71/teh-roxxors/sandingCDs-1.jpg)

Because of the way data is encoded to and read from an optical disc, radial patterns A and B are best for sanding. Sanding in other directions may leave behind small circumferential scratches to interfere with the normal operation of your CD, DVD, or game player.

I like to sand discs on a smooth, clean countertop, as in a kitchen or bathroom. I clean my work area off, then wet it (the water protects the label side from scratches). I run water over both sides of the disc, and set it label side down on the wet surface. I wet my emery paper before using it. Everything needs to stay wet. Try to keep water on the disc as you work.

A 2000-grit emery paper will remove most bad scratches, but especially horrid ones may require the use of 1500 or even 1000-grit paper. I do not recommend using anything more abrasive than 1000-grit paper.

Start with 2000-grit and evaluate the results. If scratches do not quickly vanish, consider using a coarser grit. Slowly rotate the disc with your off hand while sanding back and forth, making a few full rotations.

After working the scratches out with the rough paper, switch to the next finer paper and change the angle of your sanding, switching to pattern B, above. Repeat the process using progressively finer grit emery papers for the best results. Usually, I work all the way up to a micron-graded 8000-grit paper. I rinse and dry the disc when finished. Sanded discs are going to look hazy. This cloudy haze will prevent the disc from being read, so the next step is to remove the haze.

Scratch Out! is the best thing for removing light hazing. Do not follow the bottle’s printed directions—follow mine, instead. The printed directions instruct you to wipe the disc clean, presumably with a dry cloth, as if you were waxing a car. This only causes a lot of extra scratching and hazing.

(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y71/teh-roxxors/sandingCDsC.jpg)

Use the liquid polishers at a dry work area. I like to put the disc’s label side down on a clean sheet of paper near the edge of my desk for the next procedure. Apply a fairly generous amount of Scratch Out! to the disc and polish with a clean scrap of cotton cloth, using the elliptical pattern shown in figure C (work in the opposite direction if you are left-handed). Slowly rotate the disc with your off hand while you work. You can use heavy pressure to start, and gradually relax with subsequent revolutions of the disc. Do not continue polishing if the compound begins to dry on the disc surface!  Polish only while the compound remains moist! Before it dries, wash the compound off with soap and water. Dry the disc with a clean towel.

Scratch Out! removes the haze left behind from sanding, but leaves light scratches you can still polish out. For that, you will use Meguiar's PlastX Clear Plastic Cleaner & Polish. Return to your dry work area and apply several drops of Meguiar’s to the disc. With another clean scrap of cotton cloth, polish the same way (figure C) as before. You don't have to leave the Meguiar's to dry on the disc—it's not like waxing your car. You basically polish until your cloth has absorbed all the excess goop and the disc is bright & shiny, which doesn't take long at all. Get a good polish on your discs, all the way out to the outermost edges. Buff away any residue with yet another clean scrap of cotton T-shirt when finished.

Your disc should look really, really good—not brand new, mind you, but good, nonetheless. Discs do not need a mirror finish to function perfectly. They need to be free of haze and reasonably free of errant scratches. If it won’t play or rip, you may have to repeat some or all the steps, above. With experience, you’ll tend to nail it the first time. All this may sound like a terrible bit of effort. In reality, it's only about five minutes per disc, depending upon how bad the damage is.

While there are a couple of good (and expensive) commercial-grade disc polishers out there, none of the retail machines you’ll find can do what you do with your own two hands in just a few minutes. Serious scratches require more abrasive action than is available with any retail product. Honestly, every last one is a money-wasting rip-off.

A bottle of Scratch Out! costs six dollars. The Meguiar's costs just a few bucks and lasts years. 3M wet-dry emery paper is very cheap, so don't settle for generic brands, as the abrasive may come off when the paper gets wet, which defeats the entire purpose of wet sanding, doesn't it?

Auto supply and other retail outlets carry the coarser emery papers, while extremely fine emery paper is sold by outfits that deal with jewelers and other artists, such as Rio Grande and Micro-Mark. You may even find it through Amazon.

CDs, DVDs, and console discs are all the same when it comes to fixing scratches. If you can fix one, you can fix them all.

With audio CDs, scratches on the data side (the shiny, reflective side) aren't as serious as scratches on the label side. You're able to sand the working face of a disc because it’s a rather thick layer of plastic. In an audio CD, the actual data layer is closer to the label than the other side. For this reason, a good scratch on the label side can permanently destroy a disc.

That's everything I can think of. By sharing my experience, I hope to save you time and money should you ever need to restore your own DVDs, console, or audio discs.

So go fix some scratches already!
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: teh roxxors on 2010-07-02 03:49:42
A little update:

Staples stopped carrying Scratch Out!, and I had to buy it recently from Best Buy, for almost $2 more. That got me wondering about other things I could use that may be easier to find or cheaper over time.

So I tried some car wax this morning. Specifically, I used Mothers California Gold Original Formula Carnauba Cleaner Wax. It had been sitting unused in my garage for years.

It worked really, really well. I had a disc that was severely damaged; even after sanding and polishing, some tracks would not rip without error. So I used the car wax, the same way I've used Scratch Out! and the Meguiar's PlastX. I did let the wax dry, then buffed the disc clean--just like when waxing a car. Afterwards, I finally got those troublesome tracks to rip.

So, if you can't find Scratch Out! or PlastX, try a "cleaner" wax--these have mild abrasives that can remove some scratching. Certainly try a car wax on any discs you are having real trouble with.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: greynol on 2010-07-02 06:37:47
I certainly wasn't the first to mention it, but I can quote myself in this thread from September of 06 (though I've been using it for years before that):
http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....st&p=428028 (http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=2633&view=findpost&p=428028)

Three years before my post:
http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....st&p=124070 (http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=2633&view=findpost&p=124070)

Moral of the story: it helps to read the discussions to which you contribute.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: Seeking_Lossless on 2010-07-02 08:45:41
Greynol, seriously toothpaste like Colgate will work?
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: teh roxxors on 2010-07-02 14:17:53
Toothpastes have mild abrasives designed to polish your teeth. These can remove a little plastic, which is necessary to remove scratches. I've only used toothpaste once, and I ruined a disc, because I didn't have anything to polish the disc properly after using the toothpaste.

As far as not reading posts: I stopped reading after one too many recommendations of the Disc/Data Doctor. Cutting tiny strips of sand paper to glue to the wheel? REALLY? But then, in all fairness, I once wrote that Brasso removes most light scratches. Sigh....

I should be more willing to experiment with various materials; after all, they're not MY discs I'm fixing!
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: Seeking_Lossless on 2010-07-02 14:21:53
and how did you know your CD has been ruined? The playback stuttering or couldn't play at all?
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: teh roxxors on 2010-07-02 14:30:58
EAC wouldn't rip them without error.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: bilbo on 2010-07-02 16:26:23
For years here in the US, they have been advertising a product for removing scratches from eyeglass lenses (the plastic kind). It is a liquid that one swabs on the scratch. I have never tried it, but I wonder if anyone has tried this, especially on CD's?
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: greynol on 2010-07-02 18:17:41
As far as not reading posts: I stopped reading after one too many recommendations of the Disc/Data Doctor. Cutting tiny strips of sand paper to glue to the wheel? REALLY? But then, in all fairness, I once wrote that Brasso removes most light scratches. Sigh....
My comment was equally applicable to me, so don't feel bad.

For years here in the US, they have been advertising a product for removing scratches from eyeglass lenses (the plastic kind). It is a liquid that one swabs on the scratch. I have never tried it, but I wonder if anyone has tried this, especially on CD's?
I've wondered the same thing for both CDs and glasses.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: Eli on 2010-07-06 04:00:36
As far as not reading posts: I stopped reading after one too many recommendations of the Disc/Data Doctor. Cutting tiny strips of sand paper to glue to the wheel? REALLY? But then, in all fairness, I once wrote that Brasso removes most light scratches. Sigh....


Thats what the disc dr comes with. Thin strips of sand paper (very fine grit) on a wheel, and it works quite well. I never got tooth paste or brasso to work. The Disc Dr works well and is easy.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: Speedskater on 2010-07-06 18:18:12
For years here in the US, they have been advertising a product for removing scratches from eyeglass lenses (the plastic kind). It is a liquid that one swabs on the scratch. I have never tried it, but I wonder if anyone has tried this, especially on CD's?

The consumer testing group that tested it, were unhappy with the results on eyeglasses.  But CD's might be another story.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: teh roxxors on 2010-07-11 13:22:01
As far as not reading posts: I stopped reading after one too many recommendations of the Disc/Data Doctor. Cutting tiny strips of sand paper to glue to the wheel? REALLY? But then, in all fairness, I once wrote that Brasso removes most light scratches. Sigh....


Thats what the disc dr comes with. Thin strips of sand paper (very fine grit) on a wheel, and it works quite well. I never got tooth paste or brasso to work. The Disc Dr works well and is easy.


Yes, we should all just spend hours cutting thin strips of sand paper to painstakingly glue onto the wheel of the disc doctor, as fingers are good for nothing more than picking one's nose--using them for anything else is just too dangerous.

Honestly, now--do you get a stipend from Digital Innovations? Do you work for them?

The Disc Doctor worked very well when it first came out, but the emery strips it used was much more abrasive than what is used today. Many stupid people damaged their discs through overuse, and subsequent civil suits brought about a change in the product: a far less abrasive emery paper was added. This new design is so delicate that it does little more than clean a dirty disc, and the emery paper starts to peel off after only a few uses. The idea is that you are supposed to drop $10 to replace the entire wheel after cleaning a couple discs.

I can clean my discs with lens cleaner and a micro fiber cloth. I can remove scratches with wet-dry emery paper, Scratch-Out!, PlastX, and even automotive wax. I prefer to spend my money on things that actually work.
Title: Repairing scratched CDs
Post by: Meeko on 2010-07-11 17:12:56
I'm with greynol - a toothpaste like Colgate has worked for me on stubborn disks in the past.  Buffed some on with a cotton shirt, rinse and wipe off.  Cheapest solution around.