Repairing scratched CDs Options

[teh roxxors]

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.

This post has been edited by teh roxxors: Jul 2 2010, 03:50

[greynol]

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

Three years before my post:
http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....st&p=124070

Moral of the story: it helps to read the discussions to which you contribute.

This post has been edited by greynol: Jul 2 2010, 06:40

[Seeking_Lossless]

Greynol, seriously toothpaste like Colgate will work?

[teh roxxors]

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!

This post has been edited by teh roxxors: Jul 2 2010, 14:19

[Seeking_Lossless]

and how did you know your CD has been ruined? The playback stuttering or couldn't play at all?

[teh roxxors]

EAC wouldn't rip them without error.

[bilbo]

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?

[greynol]

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.

This post has been edited by greynol: Jul 2 2010, 18:18

[Eli]

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.

[Speedskater]

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.

[teh roxxors]

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.

This post has been edited by teh roxxors: Jul 11 2010, 13:49

[Meeko]

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.