Re-surfacing a CD

[AllenLowe]

I have 4 or 5 cds, possibly valuable, with messy surfaces - the local CD chain does re-surfacing cheap - anyone ever done this? Does it work out ok, and does the CD look ok? any potential problems?

[Christiern]

I never heard of "re-surfacing CDs. I do recall waiting the good part of an afternoon in Bill Russell's little N. O. record shop while he ever so meticulously de-bumped some of his red vinyl AM LPs--wouldn't let me leave without the de-bump! BTW, he used a small file and worked under an enormous lens. Discs played fine--still do.

[Shawn]

I have 4 or 5 cds, possibly valuable, with messy surfaces - the local CD chain does re-surfacing cheap - anyone ever done this? Does it work out ok, and does the CD look ok? any potential problems?

I used to work at a store that does this, it's a simple 3-step process. They grind off the very top layer of the disc, then buff it until it's shiny, then clean it off and it's done. Takes a few minutes per disc depending on how scratched up they are. Once complete you can't tell that anything was ever done.

[AndrewHill]

What Shawn said. Some stores that sell used cd's have that re-buffering machine. I bought a Brubeck cd with some scratches and without me even having ti say anything, they took over to the machine and buffed them right off-looked good as new.

[AllenLowe]

thanks, guys, sounds like a good idea - I wonder if, in the process, they can remove a cut - was hoping to eliminate Hot Dog from my "Best of Lou Donaldson" compilation -

Edited July 15, 2008 by AllenLowe

[Van Basten II]

They are probably negative stories, but for my part i had a few cds that i could not play because my cd player would skip some parts and thanks to that i suddenly could.

[zen archer]

Lately i have noticed that Newbury Comics is buffing a lot of their used discs ,i have been shopping there

forever and have never come across this.

Now how do i know , because there is a white powder around the outer edge of the disc( you would think they would wipe away the powder before they put the disc back in the jewel case ?).

Also sometimes it scuffs the top side of the disc . So if the disc has a color band around it , the buffing will take off some of the

color of the band or whatever is printed on the front .( usually around the edge of the disc)

I actually returned an Elvis Costello disc because it looked all scuffed up on the front .

Edited July 15, 2008 by zen archer

[Christiern]

Until I saw this thread (and slightly derailed it), I had never heard of buffing CDs. Very interesting.

[mikelz777]

I'd recommend taking the least favorite or least valuable of them, have it done and see how it turns out to see if you want to do it to the rest of your discs. Better yet, find a CD you have that is of little more value than a coaster, scuff it up and see how it turns out after buffing. How much do they charge to have it done?

[WD45]

I do this myself at home -- I go these buffer wheels and polishing compounds for my bench grinder at home: Caswell, Inc.

Does a fine job. I buy scratched used discs cheap and put a shine back on em. There is a limit to what you can do, and one has to be careful to buy things that are not scratched on the wrong side!

[Hot Ptah]

For lightly scratched CDs, with sound that skips or is otherwise compromised, I use a bottle of CD cleaner that used to be sold at the late lamented Music Exchange in Kansas City. The stuff comes out of the bottle in a thick white consistency--it looks like Elmer's Glue (but is not sticky, obviously). You wipe it off thoroughly with the soft cloths that come with the bottle.

Almost every CD has come out perfect. It has to be a really deep scratch to resist the benefits of the cleaning. There is no buffing or mechanical aspect to it.

It has also been a godsend on scratched DVDs, restoring some entire scenes that were otherwise being skipped over.

[J.A.W.]

I've had several Japanese CDs that were visibly buffed, they had a sort of wavy pattern. So far I haven't had any problems with buffed CDs, except that when I tried to sell them people didn't want them. I'm told that buffing can damage the CD if it's done badly and that no one can visually tell if the job was done OK or not.

Edited July 15, 2008 by J.A.W.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Bull Moose Music offers CD scratch removal services. I have used it and the results have been fantastic. The machine they use doesn't merely grind off the top surface of your disc, it actually heats it up under high pressure to flatten it a bit first. The discs come out looking pretty good. I can't see any residue either.

Kevin

[Shawn]

If the store is doing it correctly there shouldn't be any residue or scuffs on the top side of the disc. I'm sure it also depends on the machine they are using.

In the meantime I need to figure out how to add Hot Dog as a bonus track to all of Allen's discs......

[zen archer]

If the store is doing it correctly there shouldn't be any residue or scuffs on the top side of the disc. I'm sure it also depends on the machine they are using.

Then Newbury must be doing something wrong cause I'am seeing this more than ever. Also if you buy used

Hendrix or Zep Cds at Newbury guaranteed that they are BUFFED !

[AllenLowe]

it's Bullmoose I'll be going to - can't remember what they charge, but I have a few fairly valuable CDs that play fine but look messy -

[medjuck]

I bought some cheap device a few years ago that I've used on unplayable cds. Worked fine though the surface of the disc looks different.