I confess I've been using the public library's unplayable, horribly scratched CD's and DVDs to experiment with hand-polishing. They couldn't get worse so its done no harm... and I think I've found the right stuff!
I polish vigorously in a circular motion around the disc with Meguiar's "Scratch X 2.0" automobile clearcoat polishing compound. It has an extremely fine grit (maybe around 5000?) which is highly fugitive --it disappears after a couple strokes. I spread a dab about the size of a pencil-eraser and rub hard with a microfiber cloth until it almost dries. Buff that out and then wipe with a clean microfiber cloth and WD-40. Yup-- plain old WD-40. Rub off the excess but it seems a very light residue of WD-40 actually improves playback.
Wham-o-Zam-o! I have had 100% success rate thus far with discs that started off looking like they'd been used for air-hockey.
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Topic - Experiments with badly scratched CDs - mr.bear 12:04:01 07/02/12 (12)
- RE: Experiments with badly scratched CDs - fantja 17:40:08 07/07/12 (0)
- RE: Experiments with badly scratched CDs - Land Shark 12:39:39 07/04/12 (0)
- RE: Experiments with badly scratched CDs - jaydacus 07:25:46 07/04/12 (1)
- RE: Right.... - mr.bear 18:33:24 07/06/12 (0)
- Were these discs unplayable? - J.Mac 00:33:15 07/03/12 (1)
- RE: Were these discs unplayable? - mr.bear 17:18:58 07/03/12 (0)
- RE: Experiments with badly scratched CDs - pictureguy 23:23:17 07/02/12 (1)
- "That which we obtain too easily, we esteem too lightly." - mr.bear 17:20:49 07/03/12 (0)
- Great idea. - R Browne 21:44:48 07/02/12 (1)
- RE: Great idea. - mr.bear 17:22:26 07/03/12 (0)
- RE: Experiments with badly scratched CDs - P.C. 12:59:02 07/02/12 (1)
- OT but it worked swell on my Volvo, too - mr.bear 17:27:24 07/03/12 (0)