Fixing a scratched DVD- an observation [Freeware]

From: Gordon Abbot on 16 Sep 2005 07:10

I posted this on r.v.desktop.

Since both programs are freeware (ISO buster is both free and pay)
decided to post here also.

I had a badly scratched disk which I tried to clean with no joy. When
cleaning does not work (and it usually does not), I use DVDdecrypter to
work through the errors.

This time I tried ISO buster since it is highly recommended for fixing
disks. It took forever to go from 94% (where the scratch started to 95%
and then failed (locked up more than once after several re-trys), so
went back to DVDdecrypter.

DVD D worked faster and recovered the disk with no hangups. Plus I was
able to work with it in the background. I had to leave ISO buster alone
and do nothing else while it did its thing. Went into Freecell withdrawal.

The other nice thing is I could watch the progress with DVD D since it
shows just what it is doing and where it stands reading and writing in
the file. It took 1 1/2 hours to fix the disk. Turned out there were two
files that had problems.

I have no ax to grind here, but just an observation. (I set DVD D to
ignore all read errors.)

GA
--
My address is spoofed, so do not reply directly.

From: Bill Turner on 16 Sep 2005 18:52

Gordon Abbot wrote:

> When cleaning does not work (and it usually does not),
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have yet to see a scratched DVD or CD I could not fix. I work in a
library, so I see a lot of them.

The best method is to use a cloth buffing wheel in a drill press, with
buffing compound made specifically for plastic. Do not use metal
buffing compound - way too coarse.

100% success rate so far.

Mr Bill

From: newbie on 16 Sep 2005 22:06

From: Steve H on 17 Sep 2005 05:40

On Sat, 17 Sep 2005 07:36:33 +0530, "newbie" <jcd(a)refid.com> wrote:

>Bill Turner wrote:
>|> Gordon Abbot wrote:
>|>
>|> > When cleaning does not work (and it usually does not),
>|> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>|>
>|> I have yet to see a scratched DVD or CD I could not fix. I work in a
>|> library, so I see a lot of them.
>|>
>|> The best method is to use a cloth buffing wheel in a drill press,
>|> with buffing compound made specifically for plastic. Do not use metal
>|> buffing compound - way too coarse.
>|>
>|> 100% success rate so far.
>|>
>|> Mr Bill
>
>Can you further elborate.

There are a couple of types of buffing wheel ( or mops ) widely
available. The more common type is that found in car accessory shops,
which consists of a pad of (typically ) lambswool stuck onto a flat
disk, These are designed to be used in powered hand drills.
The industrial type of buffing wheel consists of many discs of calico
stapled together, and is designed to be used with an arbor. The wheels
can be bought in varying degrees of hardness. One for the softest
wheels goes by the name 'Swansdown'. You can buy arbors to fit hand
drills. An industrial mop is the better bet.

http://thepolishingshop.co.uk/Spindles___Adaptors.htm

http://www.proopsbrothers.com/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Polishing_42.html

Buffing wheels use blocks of polish called 'buffing soap'. This comes
in a wide variety of grades.

http://thepolishingshop.co.uk/Large_800g_Bars.htm#hyfin

The range runs from extremely fine polish, such as 'Rouge', through to
coarse polishes such as 'Tripoli'.
A special polish is required for plastics, though more often than not
this turns out to be a polish developed for another application...such
as polishing stainless steel. These polishes tend not to leave any
deposits ( unlike Rouge and Tripoli, which are quite greasy ).
I use Hyfin simply because it's what I use in my workshop for
finishing brass, but any decent supplier should be able to advise you
of which type of soap you need depending on what brand they stock.
One bar of soap should last you quite a few years, and if all you're
doing is polishing cds then a 4"x3/4" swansdown mop will last equally
as long.
Bear in mind that the mop needs to rotate at quite a high speed, so
you'll need a fairly decent drill.

There's something of an art to polishing CDs...Ideally they should be
polished in a line from the centre hole to the rim downwards rather
than parallel to the rim.
What you have to watch for is that you keep the disc moving at all
times or the friction of the mop will cause the plastic to melt.
Best bet is to practice on a few old magazine cover disks until you
get the hang of it.
The rotation of the wheel must run towards you - that's to say that
looking at the wheel side on, it revolves anticlockwise with you
standing on its left. If you imagine the side of the mop to be a
clockface, the item to be polished should be presented to the mop at
about the 7-8 o'clock position. Higher than that and it might get
thrown into you, lower than that and it might get snatched out of your
hand.
You 'load' the mop by presenting the bar of polish lightly to it, then
you present the disk to the mop. Trial and error will tell you when to
apply more polish - but overloading the mop is as bad as underloading
it. To finish the job, just decrease the pressure of the disk against
the well and hold off the polish. If there are any residues they can
be cleaned off with a little lighter fluid on a ball of cotton wool.

I would strongly advise the use of goggles and a simple breather mask.

A simple setup is a real boon if you have kids who have gaming
machines. Word soon gets round that you can 'fix' damaged disks, and
you might well find you can turn a small profit from polishing
Playstation disks.

Given that this method is based on my having access to professional
kit, I'd be interested to read Bill's method.

Regards,

--
Steve ( out in the sticks )
Email: anyoldname(*AT*)gmx(*dot*)co(*dot*)uk

From: pbestrox on 17 Sep 2005 13:16

" Steve H" <AvaLook(a)Sig.UK> wrote in message
news:83mni1lpo0mc1259245ebnrbg9l7f3790s(a)4ax.com...
> On Sat, 17 Sep 2005 07:36:33 +0530, "newbie" <jcd(a)refid.com> wrote:
>
>>Bill Turner wrote:
>>|> Gordon Abbot wrote:
>>|>
>>|> > When cleaning does not work (and it usually does not),
>>|> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>|>
>>|> I have yet to see a scratched DVD or CD I could not fix. I work in a
>>|> library, so I see a lot of them.
>>|>
>>|> The best method is to use a cloth buffing wheel in a drill press,
>>|> with buffing compound made specifically for plastic. Do not use metal
>>|> buffing compound - way too coarse.
>>|>
>>|> 100% success rate so far.
>>|>
>>|> Mr Bill
>>
>>Can you further elborate.
>
> There are a couple of types of buffing wheel ( or mops ) widely
> available. The more common type is that found in car accessory shops,
> which consists of a pad of (typically ) lambswool stuck onto a flat
> disk, These are designed to be used in powered hand drills.
> The industrial type of buffing wheel consists of many discs of calico
> stapled together, and is designed to be used with an arbor. The wheels
> can be bought in varying degrees of hardness. One for the softest
> wheels goes by the name 'Swansdown'. You can buy arbors to fit hand
> drills. An industrial mop is the better bet.
>
> http://thepolishingshop.co.uk/Spindles___Adaptors.htm
>
> http://www.proopsbrothers.com/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Polishing_42.html
>
>
> Buffing wheels use blocks of polish called 'buffing soap'. This comes
> in a wide variety of grades.
>
> http://thepolishingshop.co.uk/Large_800g_Bars.htm#hyfin
>
> The range runs from extremely fine polish, such as 'Rouge', through to
> coarse polishes such as 'Tripoli'.
> A special polish is required for plastics, though more often than not
> this turns out to be a polish developed for another application...such
> as polishing stainless steel. These polishes tend not to leave any
> deposits ( unlike Rouge and Tripoli, which are quite greasy ).
> I use Hyfin simply because it's what I use in my workshop for
> finishing brass, but any decent supplier should be able to advise you
> of which type of soap you need depending on what brand they stock.
> One bar of soap should last you quite a few years, and if all you're
> doing is polishing cds then a 4"x3/4" swansdown mop will last equally
> as long.
> Bear in mind that the mop needs to rotate at quite a high speed, so
> you'll need a fairly decent drill.
>
> There's something of an art to polishing CDs...Ideally they should be
> polished in a line from the centre hole to the rim downwards rather
> than parallel to the rim.
> What you have to watch for is that you keep the disc moving at all
> times or the friction of the mop will cause the plastic to melt.
> Best bet is to practice on a few old magazine cover disks until you
> get the hang of it.
> The rotation of the wheel must run towards you - that's to say that
> looking at the wheel side on, it revolves anticlockwise with you
> standing on its left. If you imagine the side of the mop to be a
> clockface, the item to be polished should be presented to the mop at
> about the 7-8 o'clock position. Higher than that and it might get
> thrown into you, lower than that and it might get snatched out of your
> hand.
> You 'load' the mop by presenting the bar of polish lightly to it, then
> you present the disk to the mop. Trial and error will tell you when to
> apply more polish - but overloading the mop is as bad as underloading
> it. To finish the job, just decrease the pressure of the disk against
> the well and hold off the polish. If there are any residues they can
> be cleaned off with a little lighter fluid on a ball of cotton wool.
>
> I would strongly advise the use of goggles and a simple breather mask.
>
> A simple setup is a real boon if you have kids who have gaming
> machines. Word soon gets round that you can 'fix' damaged disks, and
> you might well find you can turn a small profit from polishing
> Playstation disks.
>
> Given that this method is based on my having access to professional
> kit, I'd be interested to read Bill's method.
>
Wow...thanks for the detailed explanation and recommendations! I know I'll
check this out.

I myself use sandpaper...a grit #2 ... basically a rock. :)

| Next | Last
Pages: 1 2 3
Prev: UHARC
Next: Filseclab Firewall