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CD scratch repair kits.... do they work?


Daddy Dee

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We bought one of those things to try to repair a damaged DVD. It worked but only partly. I have better luck buffing the bottom of the disk on a buffing wheel and fine compound. Buff from the center out to the outside of the disk. Do this all the way around the disk then clean with a soft cloth. Use a light touch as you don't want to melt the disk.

Most people try to protect the shiney side of the disk but this is tough plastic, the label side of the disk is uasually only a painted on surface and if it is scratched, kiss the data goodby.

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Another product that has alot of other uses is Novus Plastic polish, this stuff is amazing at removing scratches from all things plastic. I use the #2 to get the scratches out, then treat with #1. Does wonders on plastic diplay windows on vintage gear.

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Not that this will help you now, but I make an exact copy of every CD I buy as well as record it on my hard drive as a 320kps MP3. I only take copies of CDs or MP3s burned to a CD in the car, same thing for my wife, though sometimes she cheats, lost a few that way. Of course that does not cover SACDs. Assume the same techniques would work for SACD or not?

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  • 3 years later...

Another product that has alot of other uses is Novus Plastic polish, this stuff is amazing at removing scratches from all things plastic. I use the #2 to get the scratches out, then treat with #1. Does wonders on plastic diplay windows on vintage gear.

I use this stuff. #3 for really bad discs. Works great.
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I use a 2 part plastics polishing system by Meguires (yea the automotive stuff) also good for turntable dustcovers. Probably like the stuff Frzn recommends above.

They used to use this stuff on Learjet windshields where I used to work.

Mike..I use the same stuff..works great. [Y]
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I only take copies of CDs or MP3s burned to a CD in the car, same thing for my wife, though sometimes she cheats, lost a few that way

I like that idea, take a copy of the wife in the car and leave a couple copies at home to work, now how are those copies made ? I sure hope you don't have to go back to the original source ?

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Hmmm.....I have hundreds of cd's and can't think of one that I've ever had a problem with.....let alone ever have to do any kind of repair on one.

Guess I've been lucky......or just take good care of them. [*-)]

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This may seem silly but should I be cleaning the colored top side or the shiney bottom side?

...............I've been cleaning the shiney bottom side thinking that's where the music is extracted.

The shiney side is the side that is read by the laser BUT, the label side is the side that is most fragile. If the label is scratched, there is no mirror surface for the laser to reflect from so the data is unreadable. Try it with a scrap disk sometime. If the label is scratched off, the disk is clear, thus no read with a laser.

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yes music is in the aluminum top layer, but cleaning can ONLY be done on the scratched clear bottom layer. What usually happens is that the clear gets scratched deeply enough to throw the laser off.

I see people toss their CD's up side down onto surfaces in an attempt to protect the shiny bottom side, when in fact the clear bottom is there to protect the delicate metal coating on the top. If you have to set them down, make it label up.

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Hmmm.....I have hundreds of cd's and can't think of one that I've ever had a problem with.....let alone ever have to do any kind of repair on one.

Guess I've been lucky......or just take good care of them. Confused

Rental dvd's are typically in bad shape, at least when shipped to me.
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I got another idea that i could not believe it worked.I had a DVD that was real bad,and skipped alot, so i tried idea i heard about.I got my crest tarter control tooth paste and used it. Made disk look like it would never work but it does and doesnt skip like it did.It now looks like it has a haze all over it ,wierd but hey it works.Rick

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