[Randy Yates]

I have an old, beloved Atlanta Rhythm Section CD that's become
so scratched it isn't playable without wide gaps. Can someone
recommend *specifically* a process I could use to repolish
the surface using materials and tools commonly available (e.g.,
Home Depot, etc.)?
--
% Randy Yates % "With time with what you've learned,
%% Fuquay-Varina, NC % they'll kiss the ground you walk
%%% 919-577-9882 % upon."
%%%% % '21st Century Man', *Time*, ELO
http://www.digitalsignallabs.com

[Eeyore]

Randy Yates wrote:

I have an old, beloved Atlanta Rhythm Section CD that's become
so scratched it isn't playable without wide gaps. Can someone
recommend *specifically* a process I could use to repolish
the surface using materials and tools commonly available (e.g.,
Home Depot, etc.)?

Have you considered trying to capture it with Exact Audio Copy and then
reburn it ?

Graham

[Randy Yates]

Eeyore writes:

Randy Yates wrote:

I have an old, beloved Atlanta Rhythm Section CD that's become
so scratched it isn't playable without wide gaps. Can someone
recommend *specifically* a process I could use to repolish
the surface using materials and tools commonly available (e.g.,
Home Depot, etc.)?

Have you considered trying to capture it with Exact Audio Copy and then
reburn it ?

Hi,

I have considered using some software recovery method (not necessarily
Exact Audio Copy), but my reasoning is that correcting the problem is a
better solution than trying to extract very possibly bad data.

Thanks for the reference to Exact Audio Copy. I may give it a shot,
either now or after I've repolished the surface.
--
% Randy Yates % "...the answer lies within your soul
%% Fuquay-Varina, NC % 'cause no one knows which side
%%% 919-577-9882 % the coin will fall."
%%%% % 'Big Wheels', *Out of the Blue*, ELO
http://www.digitalsignallabs.com

[Peter Larsen[_2_]]

Randy Yates wrote:

I have an old, beloved Atlanta Rhythm Section CD that's become
so scratched it isn't playable without wide gaps. Can someone
recommend *specifically* a process I could use to repolish
the surface using materials and tools commonly available (e.g.,
Home Depot, etc.)?

Only the under-side should be polished, never the print side, which is where
the data actually reside with a somewhat poor protection. I have sucessfully
used toothpaste applied with a fingertip on a "drawer damaged" CD, it was
sucessfully rescued. It had become drawer damaged because it was totally
uninteresting. The polished area ended up with a matte finish, but it
mattered so much less to the laser than the scratches that it became
playable.

I have received a cd that was playable once on only one out of 5 drives I
tried to use, and it was only playable that single time .... do try with
more than one drive first. That the toothpaste trick worked with an
irrelevant CD is not a guarantee that it will work with a CD where it really
really matters. It seems to me that it must be about preventing the scratch
from being a good prism surface.

Kind regards

Peter Larsen

[Serge Auckland]

"Randy Yates" wrote in message
...
Eeyore writes:

Randy Yates wrote:

I have an old, beloved Atlanta Rhythm Section CD that's become
so scratched it isn't playable without wide gaps. Can someone
recommend *specifically* a process I could use to repolish
the surface using materials and tools commonly available (e.g.,
Home Depot, etc.)?

Have you considered trying to capture it with Exact Audio Copy and then
reburn it ?

Hi,

I have considered using some software recovery method (not necessarily
Exact Audio Copy), but my reasoning is that correcting the problem is a
better solution than trying to extract very possibly bad data.

Thanks for the reference to Exact Audio Copy. I may give it a shot,
either now or after I've repolished the surface.
--
% Randy Yates % "...the answer lies within your soul
%% Fuquay-Varina, NC % 'cause no one knows which side
%%% 919-577-9882 % the coin will fall."
%%%% % 'Big Wheels', *Out of the Blue*, ELO
http://www.digitalsignallabs.com

I would do it now, *before* polishing the surface just in case something
goes wrong. EAC is excellent at capturing data that is missed by other
rippers.

As to polishing, firstly, I have used isoproyl alcohol and water mixture and
one of the rotary CD cleaners that you can buy for a few pounds/dollars in
any supermarket. When that didn't work (scratches were too deep) I have
used a very fine toothpaste, (not Arm&Hammer!)diluted with water to make a
very thin paste. Use a soft cloth and rub over the CD always radially, never
tangentially. The cloth must be soft otherwise you'll find it's more
abrasive than the paste and will itself cause scratches.

If a CD is VERY scratched, (and I've only ever had one like this) I first
polished it with car haze remover, then the toothpaste, then the CD cleaner.
Presumably, you can start with car cutting-in compound to remove even bigger
scratches, then haze remover to polish out the small scratches that the
cutting-in compound caused, then toothpaste etc. It's a very laborious
procedure, and there's no guarantee of success as the surface polish must be
to a very high order.

Having said all this, I would always try and recover the audio using EAC
first, after cleaning the CD with the rotary cleaner. I would only try
polishing when all else has failed, and as an alternative to throwing the
CD away.

S.
--
http://audiopages.googlepages.com

[Geoff]

Randy Yates wrote:
I have an old, beloved Atlanta Rhythm Section CD that's become
so scratched it isn't playable without wide gaps. Can someone
recommend *specifically* a process I could use to repolish
the surface using materials and tools commonly available (e.g.,
Home Depot, etc.)?

Presumably you have tried the usual methods, like the cheap rotary polishing
thingies. Would it would be very difficult to just replace it - what value
is you time ?

geoff

[Randy Yates]

"Geoff" writes:

Randy Yates wrote:
I have an old, beloved Atlanta Rhythm Section CD that's become
so scratched it isn't playable without wide gaps. Can someone
recommend *specifically* a process I could use to repolish
the surface using materials and tools commonly available (e.g.,
Home Depot, etc.)?

Presumably you have tried the usual methods, like the cheap rotary polishing
thingies. Would it would be very difficult to just replace it - what value
is you time ?

I don't think it's available anymore. I tried ordering something similar
a couple of years back and received a knockoff (it sounded like the lead
singer with a new band redoing the old material).
--
% Randy Yates % "Midnight, on the water...
%% Fuquay-Varina, NC % I saw... the ocean's daughter."
%%% 919-577-9882 % 'Can't Get It Out Of My Head'
%%%% % *El Dorado*, Electric Light Orchestra
http://www.digitalsignallabs.com

[Frank Vuotto]

Take it to your local video rental place. In the back room they have a
resurfacing machine (not the cleaner that's in the front). I've had
several done and it works beautifully.

Frank /~ http://newmex.com/f10
@/

---- Posted via Pronews.com - Premium Corporate Usenet News Provider ----
http://www.pronews.com offers corporate packages that have access to 100,000+ newsgroups

[Eeyore]

Randy Yates wrote:

Eeyore writes:

Randy Yates wrote:

I have an old, beloved Atlanta Rhythm Section CD that's become
so scratched it isn't playable without wide gaps. Can someone
recommend *specifically* a process I could use to repolish
the surface using materials and tools commonly available (e.g.,
Home Depot, etc.)?

Have you considered trying to capture it with Exact Audio Copy and then
reburn it ?

Hi,

I have considered using some software recovery method (not necessarily
Exact Audio Copy), but my reasoning is that correcting the problem is a
better solution than trying to extract very possibly bad data.

Use EAC correctly and it will continually re-examine the CD and look for
valid data.


Thanks for the reference to Exact Audio Copy. I may give it a shot,
either now or after I've repolished the surface.

It should help.

Graham

[Arny Krueger]

"Randy Yates" wrote in message


I have an old, beloved Atlanta Rhythm Section CD that's
become so scratched it isn't playable without wide gaps.

Echo other poster's comments about trying to recover it using a good CD-ROM
drive and EAC (or CDEX). This is freeware, which you can download and
install in a minimal amount of time. You should try this first, on the
grounds that "First, you should do no harm".

Can someone recommend *specifically* a process I could
use to repolish
the surface using materials and tools commonly available
(e.g., Home Depot, etc.)?

It's like polishing a telescope mirror. You start out with a coarse
abrasive to actually remove the damage, and then you follow with sucessively
finer abrasives to restore the glass-like surface finish.

There are such things as CD scratch repair kits, which contain what someone
thinks is an appropriate collection of abrasives.

Common mild household abrasives like toothpaste can suffice if the damage is
not too deep. You don't want to try to abrade any parts of the disc that are
not damaged.

It's been a long time since I've had this problem to solve personally. Such
badly scratched Cds as I've had, I've been able to resurrect with EAC, and
then just burn a replacement CD-R.

[Bill Dukenfield]

Arny Krueger wrote:

"Randy Yates" wrote in message


I have an old, beloved Atlanta Rhythm Section CD that's
become so scratched it isn't playable without wide gaps.



I have has success with these products.

http://www.novuspolish.com/

The surface is a coating, the information is on a layer under this.

JAM

[Richard Crowley]

"Bill Dukenfield" wrote ...
Arny Krueger wrote:
"Randy Yates" wrote

I have an old, beloved Atlanta Rhythm Section CD that's
become so scratched it isn't playable without wide gaps.

I have has success with these products.

http://www.novuspolish.com/

The surface is a coating, the information is on a layer under this.

For CDs, the information layer is actually directly underneath
the "label". That is why CDs in particular (vs. DVD) are so
very vulnerable to data destruction from the "top" side.

DVDs, on the other hand, have the data layer(s) embedded
within (relatively) thick pieces of plactic on BOTH sides.
You can scratch a title on the top side of a DVD with a
rusty nail with little fear of putting the data at risk. :-)

[Randy Yates]

Bill Dukenfield writes:

Arny Krueger wrote:

"Randy Yates" wrote in message


I have an old, beloved Atlanta Rhythm Section CD that's
become so scratched it isn't playable without wide gaps.



I have has success with these products.

http://www.novuspolish.com/

The surface is a coating, the information is on a layer under this.

JAM

Thanks Bill/JAM for the pointer, and to all who have responded.

FYI, I had already hit the CD with "Brasso" as some of you here
and several places on the web recommended the treatment. I then
used cdparanoia (I'm a linux guy) to read about half the disc.

The audible results were excellent, but cdparanoia reported multiple
sections where data could not be reliably read, so I might redo the
polishing again either with Brasso or something like what Bill has
suggested.
--
% Randy Yates % "Maybe one day I'll feel her cold embrace,
%% Fuquay-Varina, NC % and kiss her interface,
%%% 919-577-9882 % til then, I'll leave her alone."
%%%% % 'Yours Truly, 2095', *Time*, ELO
http://www.digitalsignallabs.com

[AZ Nomad]

On Thu, 03 Jan 2008 13:25:26 -0500, Bill Dukenfield wrote:
Arny Krueger wrote:

"Randy Yates" wrote in message


I have an old, beloved Atlanta Rhythm Section CD that's
become so scratched it isn't playable without wide gaps.



I have has success with these products.

http://www.novuspolish.com/

The surface is a coating, the information is on a layer under this.

JAM

I've never had positive results with any commercial CD cleaning kits. They
are invariably incapable of fixing any scratch large enough to bother a
player that isn't worn out or broken and the quantity of polish supplied is
overpriced by at least a factor of a thousand.

Go to a local auto parts store and get a tub of turtle wax paint polish. It
works and a lifetime supply is around 6 bucks.

[AZ Nomad]

On Thu, 3 Jan 2008 11:14:36 -0800, Richard Crowley wrote:
"Bill Dukenfield" wrote ...
Arny Krueger wrote:
"Randy Yates" wrote

I have an old, beloved Atlanta Rhythm Section CD that's
become so scratched it isn't playable without wide gaps.

I have has success with these products.

http://www.novuspolish.com/

The surface is a coating, the information is on a layer under this.

For CDs, the information layer is actually directly underneath
the "label". That is why CDs in particular (vs. DVD) are so
very vulnerable to data destruction from the "top" side.

DVDs, on the other hand, have the data layer(s) embedded
within (relatively) thick pieces of plactic on BOTH sides.
You can scratch a title on the top side of a DVD with a
rusty nail with little fear of putting the data at risk. :-)

Have you actually tried that? I've had rental DVDs that unreadable as
a result of a relatively minor scratch on the label side.

[Richard Crowley]

"AZ Nomad" wrote ...
Richard Crowley wrote:
"Bill Dukenfield" wrote ...
Arny Krueger wrote:
"Randy Yates" wrote

I have an old, beloved Atlanta Rhythm Section CD that's
become so scratched it isn't playable without wide gaps.

I have has success with these products.

http://www.novuspolish.com/

The surface is a coating, the information is on a layer under this.

For CDs, the information layer is actually directly underneath
the "label". That is why CDs in particular (vs. DVD) are so
very vulnerable to data destruction from the "top" side.

DVDs, on the other hand, have the data layer(s) embedded
within (relatively) thick pieces of plactic on BOTH sides.
You can scratch a title on the top side of a DVD with a
rusty nail with little fear of putting the data at risk. :-)

Have you actually tried that? I've had rental DVDs that unreadable as
a result of a relatively minor scratch on the label side.

I've deliberately taken apart several DVD discs and all of them
had the data layer in the middle of two equally-thick pieces of
clear polycarbonate plastic. These are one-sided disks, remember.
Double-side discs are, of course, vulnerable on both sides.

[dizzy]

AZ Nomad wrote:

Go to a local auto parts store and get a tub of turtle wax paint polish. It
works and a lifetime supply is around 6 bucks.

Just the other day, I was watching a DVD, and it started skipping and
freezing, due to scratchs on the bottom side. I rubbed some Nu Finish
car wax, which AFAIK is not abrasive, into the scratches, waited a
couple minutes, wiped it off, and it played perfectly, even though the
scratches were still quite visible.

[Karl[_4_]]

"Randy Yates" wrote in message
...
I have an old, beloved Atlanta Rhythm Section CD that's become
so scratched it isn't playable without wide gaps. Can someone
recommend *specifically* a process I could use to repolish
the surface using materials and tools commonly available (e.g.,
Home Depot, etc.)?

I have had good luck using SkipDr:
http://www.digitalinnovations.com/pr...&cat2=1&sub2=2. I
would not have used it on my own music collection at first, but after having
fixed several video games and my kids CDs, that never seem to find their way
back into the jewel case, but instead get left on the floor, and get walked
on, I have been amazed at the results. It restored CDs to flawless
operation, that I would have given up as a lost cause. Clean the peanut
butter and jelly off the disc before putting it in the SkipDr. I bought my
SkipDr from Software Etc.

[Arny Krueger]

"Karl" wrote in message
news:Cqifj.2983$jX4.916@trnddc07
"Randy Yates" wrote in message
...
I have an old, beloved Atlanta Rhythm Section CD that's
become so scratched it isn't playable without wide gaps.
Can someone recommend *specifically* a process I could
use to repolish the surface using materials and tools commonly available
(e.g., Home Depot, etc.)?

I have had good luck using SkipDr:
http://www.digitalinnovations.com/pr...&cat2=1&sub2=2.
I would not have used it on my own music collection at
first, but after having fixed several video games and my
kids CDs, that never seem to find their way back into the
jewel case, but instead get left on the floor, and get
walked on, I have been amazed at the results. It restored
CDs to flawless operation, that I would have given up as a lost cause.
Clean the peanut butter and jelly off the disc before putting it in the
SkipDr. I bought my SkipDr from Software Etc.

Looks very interesting. What's the magic spray like? Any polish in it?

[Karl[_4_]]

"Arny Krueger" wrote in message
. ..
"Karl" wrote in message
news:Cqifj.2983$jX4.916@trnddc07
"Randy Yates" wrote in message
...
I have an old, beloved Atlanta Rhythm Section CD that's
become so scratched it isn't playable without wide gaps.
Can someone recommend *specifically* a process I could
use to repolish the surface using materials and tools commonly available
(e.g., Home Depot, etc.)?

I have had good luck using SkipDr:
http://www.digitalinnovations.com/pr...&cat2=1&sub2=2.
I would not have used it on my own music collection at
first, but after having fixed several video games and my
kids CDs, that never seem to find their way back into the
jewel case, but instead get left on the floor, and get
walked on, I have been amazed at the results. It restored
CDs to flawless operation, that I would have given up as a lost cause.
Clean the peanut butter and jelly off the disc before putting it in the
SkipDr. I bought my SkipDr from Software Etc.

Looks very interesting. What's the magic spray like? Any polish in it?

I'm not sure, but I think it's pure water. The instructions say if you run
out, you can use distilled water, but not to polish dry. The wheel has an
extremely fine polishing material on the surface.