Thank you. I have a boy with cerebral palsy and have more time than money. He enjoys movies and to buy a $150.00 and up machine to maintain the movies I buy I do not have. I can’t keep buying new movies so I sit and enjoy fixing the scratched dvd’s he still loves but would not play. I have at least 100 movies so this at least gets me more years with them. Thank you again.
Good to be able to provide some value to you and help you with your dvds. I think some of the machines don't even fair as well as this method honestly. Its a little more work but its fun to see how it turns out after a little elbow grease. Kinda rewarding
This is pretty good tutorial. What you are doing is basically what the eco pro 2 and Jfj does but not as accurate. As long as you don’t go all the way down on the polycarbonate layer, which is what protects the aluminum layer that has the data on the disc, then the disc will work. You could even do all this by hand if you are a super broke boy but it would suck. You can call me a nerd if you want. 🤓
Your channel is multi dimensional af! U can do it all and you’re entertaining to boot. I’ve been recommending u to anybody that will listen to me, haha.😄
Yeah im pretty flexible with all the skills I've learned in life so why not share it lol. In the last year I've built a very loyal viewership although small but real and quality people. So im able to just share my knowledge, views and make video's that they are interested in. Good people like you who stumble into my channel and enjoy something more real and tired of seeing the fake bs are the ones who I do this for. Appreciate you spreading the word out man.
@@GacktCognac Yep, I have run into a few older games namely ps3 and Xbox One games that had a nickel or dime amount of light surface scratches but that’s what I get for buying old ass cheap games from moonlighters on eBay, haha.
Resillient to a point. Unfortunately i've found two Need For Speed movie Blu-Ray's and both have issues. One's got scratches to the point where parts of the movie have to be skipped. The other i'm pretty sure has disc rot because i can see light shining through pin sized holes on the disc.
Casey man I'm glad you made this video bro you just saved me some money I love videos like this cuz it helps us collectors and gamers out cuz man in the past I had to buy the game twice
yeah it works wonder, plus you have full control of what you need to work on with this method. just remember to practice on some random games or discs before you start doing grails.
@@GacktCognac definitely I'm going to use it on some crappy games before I ever touch a grill lol well I appreciate you passing on your knowledge to the rest of us
When you tape the middle to keep the gunk out of it so you don't have to clean it all up. There is an old car waxing tip that may work for cleaning it out. Buy a cheap soft toothbrush and use that to clean out the polish. I used a ton of toothbrushes and never scratched the car but definitely took the dried wax out of places you could get to with the towel or shammy. Also, from working on cars, you might consider using water when sanding with 2000 and 2500. Those high grit sandpapers work better with water. Just my two cents. Love the video. Thanks for making it.
@@kozman2712 a sink with an open faucet and clean running water is always your friend to get rid of stickier dirt into discs (vinyl, LD, CD, DVD, BD). Just look if theres no hole piercing through the plastic layers - or, in some cases like home videos burnt into cheap media, the label isn't just paper covering the data layer - and took care to not dive the disc... Simply splash some drops of water on its back (plastic transparent surface) and patientily rub it with your bare fingertips. Apply a tiny little drop of neutral detergent (like the one sold to wash dishes, but NEED to be neutral = transparent and without any scent!!!) before start the rubbing to help it slides better. After you finish the clean, do some quick moves shaking the disc to run out most of the liquid and dry any remaining with a microfiber. Thats how i clean my glasses - that i need to keep 24/7 or will be almost blind - in adaily basis for the past 18 years. Even right now using the same pair for about 5 years its lenses aren't scratched given this care while most people i knew need new ones between 6 to 18 months.given scratches appearing in the glass/polycarbonate.
this worked so well! i am fixing old playstation games i had growing up and going to give them to my son who is getting into gaming. this fixed two games so far! 3 more to go. thanks so much.
Cool tutorial. Here is something to consider. If you know any woodworkers, they could probably build you a base out of some scrap wood about 8 inches square. . In the very center drill a hole and conter sink the screw so it doesn't scratch your table. Figure out a way to use a wing nut, and some washers to hold the disc in place. Clamp the assembly to the table. This way you don't have to use tape, and your hands are freed up to apply consistent pressure to the disc. Thanks.
just recently started watching and im glad i did as this upload is perfect timing, just got back into collecting ps2 games again and need to fix my def jam fight for ny!
This is the first notification I received from you in a while. I use to get notified alot before but now your channel must be flying below the radar. I sold my JFJ easy pro because it was trash and it kept putting a double ring on the disc when I was done. I was fortunate to find a professional machine at family video when they were going out of business. I copped the machine and all their games before those resellers knew they were closing. I cleaned them out and now I have more games than I can play lol. Have enough space is getting to be a problem but a GREAT problem to have. Good video btw helping others and I'm sure it will come back to you 10X.
Yeah that JFJ is a pain in the ass and a mess. I remember I broke my breath of fire 3 on that thing back at game crazy lol. Man you lucked out on that pro machine. They are expensive as hell. My ghetto method surprisingly does a better job than the JFJ and many pro resurfacer. I guess the best part is that it allows for you to have better control over the treatment of the disc.
@@GacktCognac those professional machine are crazy expensive. It cost me like $300 which was a steal considering what they go for. It came with mad pads and solution out the a$$. It was a blessing definitely a blessing for sure. It's good to see you are growing a fan base and people like your sh*t.
This worked for me, i had a ps2 disc that wouldn't boot, tried toothpaste and other tricks but no luck. Watched your video and followed your guide and now the game boots, loads and works. I plan to do this with any other discs that might be too messed up to work
if you have a harbor freight near by, the cost for this would be half the price of what you showed!! :) drill about $10 attachment $3 polishing materials >$10 Polishing sand paper (800 to 4000 grit) $5
Clean it til theres no protective layer left lol..I used toothpaste with straight kines from center to outer edge all around the disc. Saved me about 20-25$
I'm sure this does work and I'm probably just being a stickler for the rules / conventions, but most resurfacing techniques emphasize a near excessive use of water to reduce heat and keep from going through layers too fast, and a dragging motion of your abrasive across a spinning disc rather than a swirling motion in small circles to take layers off evenly and(this is up in the air) resurface "with the grain" of the data layer. It's probably not a big deal especially if you report good results, but it's something to note for people looking to develop their own technique. You should make a video showing you making previously unusable discs work again, especially since this video is one the only videos on the subject of DIY resurfacing👍👍
I tried this on our family’s Mario Party 4 and it wouldn’t read anymore when it had worser scratches previously. It actually was able to smooth down the bigger discs that I tried it on that were considered scrap as practice, so the console might just come factory with a weak laser.
I love this. I used to do custom chrome work, and this follows the same principles. It also reminds me of headlight polishing. I know it could get messy, but have you tried it with water like the headlights to help prevent the overheating and possibly warping the disc?
It's basically the same premise. Water will work but i just dont have the facility to employ that. It also would eliminate some static that it may create.
Great video, really appreciate you explaining every detail of the process, planning to try it out, wanted to ask you though, about the buffing pad you just used, is it a 3 inch or a 4 inch pad? thanks in advance
Its about 3 inches id say. You can find them at a autozone or Lowes. They are basically headlight restoration buffing kits. Glad you found the video helpful.
4:58 NO don't do this, the tape may take some of the game information with it when you remove the tape, remember that the game or DVD information is on the label side , this is more precious than the reflective side, 4:58
@Cerus98 DVD and game disc data isn't damaged by damaging the label. These kinds of discs have a separate layer of aluminum in between two thinner layers of polycarbonate - unless you grind all the way through *either* side of the polycarbonate, you won't damage the actual data. CDs are produced differently, with the data being printed on the underside of the label itself, and only having one layer of polycarbonate. This makes them much more fragile on that side compared to other disc manufacturing methods, and it is possible to lose data by damaging the label side. This is probably why CDs degrade much quicker than other discs, and you can start hearing skipping after only a couple years of careful use.
@Cerus98 By his use of the word "information", it sounds like he's saying that the data itself is on the label. If that's what he means, then that's a CD thing, not a DVD thing. I could be wrong, but I don't think he would speak with such urgency - or say that the label is more precious than the side the machine reads from - if he were only referring to the printed design on DVDs.
Hey really great guide. what is the polishing pad made of? i tried today with a kit and its left micro scratches think i need something finer. The polish pad i used was like fluffy Cotton or wool.
A great tutorial, I've heard some methods of polishing like this leave swirl scratches and marks when viewed under bright-light, is this anything you've experienced? Just thought I'd ask before I go out and buy the equipment. Many thanks.
Just tape the center up nice and then buff it as long as your doing it in a flat surface and your not going over the center with to much pressure your fine. You should use crazy glue on those areas to strengthen then if you want to protect them further into the future. I can do a video on that as well
Hey, man. I wanted to follow your fantastic guide but sadly i i don't have exactly the same type Turtle Wax product in my country. I've wanted to do it 1 to 1 to avoid damaging disks by using the wrong product, so i want to know the details about it, maybe i can find a similar product. What does it says, is it for plastic or metal, does it contain vaseline, wax or something else? Does it says that it have specific colour or its neutral? And finally does this method removes ps2 symbols of the disk or they are much deeper than the surface layer.
You can use nu finish, turtle wax and maguires. Any scratch polish that works for clear coating of cars will do. And the ps symbol is not on the plastic part of the disc its deep into the foil. Just remember to practice on some random disc before attempting on what you want to work on. It takes some time to learn to control the drill
Interesting. I have been thinking of this for years but never dared to mess upp a disc that sometimes works and sometimes just jumps depending on the CD player quality. Ill try this on discs i have 2 sets of.
2:44 I jammed a cork into a wood drill and used toothpaste on the PS2 disc, my games are very scratched , they still wouldn't play but they loaded a lot further than they have for years, they all used to never load, so I'm guessing the scratches are too bad , but if you have discs that don't work it's worth a try they might not be as bad as my scratches and the discs may work
this shit really works? ill probably test it on a cheaper disc first to make sure i get the technique right? Do I need a juntao drill like ryobi or will any drill work?
@@GacktCognac def will since im not privileged enough to own a $2500 resurfacing machine. Plus id trust myself over some limp wristed wanna be mark at a gameshop handling my $150 game in their machine
If the game doesn't work due to the disc being warped or like it's been damaged on the data side then no. But light to medium scratches it can polish out easily. Ive gotten a lot of games to work that didn't load with this method after even removing half of the scratches. Heavy scratches takes more time and patience but if you carved a knife into it then it won't come out unless you buff it down to it being paper thin but you risk breaking the disc.
Now im trying to figure out why my disc doesn’t look as clean. I can see myself, it just has some real faint swirls on the disc. Is it because im not doing it long enough? Not applying enough pressure? What’s going on? 🤔
I do this same method successfully, but always end up with a bunch of very fine circular scratches around the disk, I get a mirror like finish.. but I'm not sure how to avoid the circular fine scratches around the disk.. is this unavoidable? Only thing I did different was use Meguiars plastx polishing compound instead of turtle wax. I wouldnt think that would be the issue but im not sure. Maybe it would be worth doing this with a 5 inch backing pad instead of a 3 inch one ..? not sure.
I think I figured out what is causing the circular scratches to show, your drill might not be up to speed on the RPMs! Idk but it might make a big difference because the compound said you need atleast 1500 rpm when applying. I’ve only been working with like 700 so this could be it!
This is a great vid. Thanks for the tips and also showing us some easy affordable techniques. Other than swapping cases, have you found a way to cleanup and "polish" some of the dvd style cases on say a pS2 game? I have some that look cloudy and sure I could buy other games and swap but I wouldn't mind restoring originals or just cleaning them up a bit safely. Sticker residue is easy to remove but the scratches on some of my cases make the game look so bad :(
Thanks for watching. Glad it was helpful. Unfortunately the cases are toast if they get scratches on them. Trying to buff them will just stretch and warp the plastic. Ive tried lol. There is a method ive been coming with in my head which i may experiment with. So i will keep everyone posted if it works.
@@GacktCognac Thanks, the best idea I have right now is swapping cases but it's hard(er) with 2 disc games since I need to research cheap ones to buy/swap out haha. Zone of the Enders/Devil May Cry 2 come to mind but yeah still a little hassle. Either way love your vids man and your attitude. Still blown away by your collection, it's inspiring to say the least and you have some great ideas for keeping your games clean/restoring them. I actually enjoy bringing new life to some of the unloved games so it's been fun matching loose copies with "case only" auctions on ebay that go for cheap sometimes.
Yeah lmao i remember as a kid all the things people did that made the disc worse like use toothpaste, peanut butter, and a banana. And those awful skip doctors that made the disc look like a kaleidoscope lmao
I havent tried it on blue rays but Im sure they work. I would test it on a bluray that you dont care about just incase. The only thing that bothers me is the coating on the disk. they are harder than the regular dvds so Im not sure how good they polish. it may take longer.
If anyone could help me I'd be eternally grateful because this is driving me mental. So I'm from UK, I got a 4inch headlight buffing kit comes with grits 60-3000 and 2 short woollen buffers. I also bought separately headlight turtle wax restore(later realise this wasn't the item used I'm the video). I wasn't getting the desires finish as deep scratched were gone but I'm getting very light rotary scratches throughout the whole disc. I then thought it was the woollen pads/turtle wax was so I ordered the the correct turtle wax and some long woollen pads yet I'm still getting the very light rotary scratches as a final result of using only 3000 grit & buffing. Hope someone has the answers I'm looking for, many thanks for any responses.
Might be too late here but Im currently getting the same results, Idk if its right but I think the circular scratches may be due to the lack of RPMs on the drill. Turtle wax says you need like 1500 RPMs when applying; Im looking into getting one with more power and hopefully thats the answer.
question, should you be adding a bit of water during sanding or no ? also, the kit i got didnt have the 2000 sanding FOAM pad. it was more so just a 2000grit sanding paper sheet, is that okay?
you can add water if you want, however youll need the foam if you want a clean polish, the sanding will only get you so far as removing bigger scratches but will leave very fine scratches. The polishing pad along with the compound is what gives it a clean finish
@@GacktCognac Thanks for getting back to me. the kit i got does have a foam polishing pad. my question really is that your 2000grit is in form of what looks like a pad. my 2000 grit, is a sheet. just wondering if theyre basically the same thing.
@KennyW888 ah i see, they will do the same because 2000 grit is very light. The one i have is more like wool so its still as abrasive as the one you have
awsome so i followed your steps and its def much better than before ! thank you. last question, so in certain lights i can still see some swirls/micro-scratches that the sandpaper left. is there a way to get rid of it compeltely and make it super shiny? do i just keep polishing?@@GacktCognac
What's up Gackt! I got a little kit from Amazon yesterday for my drill. I've been applying these same methods, but I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. Scratches aren't seeming to come out. What kind of material is the attachment for polishing made out of? I have 2 different sponge type things. Thanks bro
When I say scratches, I'm talking about the scratches from the sandpaper. Idk if my sponge is scratching it as well when I'm polishing. I'm using a product called Novus.
what grit of sandpaper are you using? You need to work your way down from a higher grit pad such as 2000 or 1600 grit and then as low as 600 to 800 grit for deeeper scratches. Then work back up to a higher grit until you get to the foam polishing pad in order to get optimal results. Also I hope youre using a disc that you dont care for as practice. it takes a few tries to get used to doing it. Keep in mind super deep scratches are no going to come out.
@J-Stilt 9 not sure how gritty is your polishing compound but that could be whats scratching the disc as well. The car polish seem to do fine with me. Ive used the 3m one and didn't get as good of a result.
@@GacktCognac Ok thanks for the response. I will just have to keep trying different things I think and see what ends up working for me. Luckily I have a huge binder with a bunch of junk discs, so I can practice a lot. I'll lyk what I come up with. Peace!
Yes ive had succes with gamecube discs as well. You'll just have to be more patient and careful with handling the disc as too much pressure will slingshot the disc across the room lol.
@@GacktCognac haha thanks man it was Luigi haunted mansion i shoulda read the description first he said it’s hit or miss works sometimes sometimes it doesn’t wanna at least see if somehow i can clean it up an get it to run great game for the collection or even resale since i got a good deal on it appreciate it man
No problem, So yeah its a great skill to have once you get the hang of it. I tend to buy a lot of higher end scratched games on the cheap and restore them like that. If its cheap enough its worth the risk. Ive only had 1 game not work because the disc was warped. So it cant fix that. But the dozens of games i bought on ebay that the owner thought was a goner just needed a good buffing and played like a champ.
It's too bad they don't follow this method when making the disk repair kits. I had more luck combining toothpaste and salt and using that as a "solution" in one of the kits (I think it was the Maxell one) a few years back, than using what they provided.
Hello i have a disc dr will that be ok to use instead of the the sand paper step then use drill with the pad to buffing up the marks that the skip dr leaves?
Bonjour ! Je viens ici dans l’espérance d’une réponse. J’ai acheté un jeu sur gamecube d’occasion Celui-ci se lance mais il ne marche plus à un certain passage du jeu (à 5min de jeu) Est-ce que le cd est foutu ou alors il peut encore être rattrapé ? (Je pose la question car à chaque fois que je vois une vidéo reparer un cd, c’est au lancement qu’il fonctionne pas et non pendant un moment précis du jeu)
Instead of taping it to table I’d suggest using a mouse pad. Flip it so grippy side up and place the disk on it
Useful thanks I am Trying to play Minecraft on my Xbox that I got in 2005 😅
I took two pieces of paper towel, wet it a little, and placed it on a table. The CD stuck to it very well.
Shelf grip liners.
Thank you. I have a boy with cerebral palsy and have more time than money. He enjoys movies and to buy a $150.00 and up machine to maintain the movies I buy I do not have. I can’t keep buying new movies so I sit and enjoy fixing the scratched dvd’s he still loves but would not play. I have at least 100 movies so this at least gets me more years with them. Thank you again.
Good to be able to provide some value to you and help you with your dvds. I think some of the machines don't even fair as well as this method honestly. Its a little more work but its fun to see how it turns out after a little elbow grease. Kinda rewarding
@@GacktCognac I agree 100%
It’s very satisfying and I feel like I’m rewarding myself by learning a new skill🙂
This is pretty good tutorial. What you are doing is basically what the eco pro 2 and Jfj does but not as accurate. As long as you don’t go all the way down on the polycarbonate layer, which is what protects the aluminum layer that has the data on the disc, then the disc will work. You could even do all this by hand if you are a super broke boy but it would suck. You can call me a nerd if you want. 🤓
Yeah thats a lot of elbow grease to do it by hand and it won't be as good. Nerd or not im into details so that's good stuff.
Call you a nerd for not contributing anything helpful or relevant?
nerd
Your channel is multi dimensional af! U can do it all and you’re entertaining to boot. I’ve been recommending u to anybody that will listen to me, haha.😄
Yeah im pretty flexible with all the skills I've learned in life so why not share it lol. In the last year I've built a very loyal viewership although small but real and quality people. So im able to just share my knowledge, views and make video's that they are interested in. Good people like you who stumble into my channel and enjoy something more real and tired of seeing the fake bs are the ones who I do this for. Appreciate you spreading the word out man.
@@GacktCognac does this hack also work with music cds?
Man this worked so well. Had a Xbox 360 disc that had a deep ring around the outside and wouldn’t read. Works perfect now! Thanks!
Im glad it worked out for you!
I’m gay for you cognac . I was gonna buy an easy pro but this looks the same !!!!
Man as a very OCD guy I’m eternally grateful to how resilient Blu Rays are
Yeah man and yet some how i still find scratched up blu-ray discs. I should try buff those out lmao. But it would just ruin the coating.
@@GacktCognac Yep, I have run into a few older games namely ps3 and Xbox One games that had a nickel or dime amount of light surface scratches but that’s what I get for buying old ass cheap games from moonlighters on eBay, haha.
Just O'CD not ODVD ?
@@MrWiseinheartOHD-BluRay 🥏
Resillient to a point. Unfortunately i've found two Need For Speed movie Blu-Ray's and both have issues.
One's got scratches to the point where parts of the movie have to be skipped.
The other i'm pretty sure has disc rot because i can see light shining through pin sized holes on the disc.
Casey man I'm glad you made this video bro you just saved me some money I love videos like this cuz it helps us collectors and gamers out cuz man in the past I had to buy the game twice
yeah it works wonder, plus you have full control of what you need to work on with this method. just remember to practice on some random games or discs before you start doing grails.
@@GacktCognac definitely I'm going to use it on some crappy games before I ever touch a grill lol well I appreciate you passing on your knowledge to the rest of us
When you tape the middle to keep the gunk out of it so you don't have to clean it all up. There is an old car waxing tip that may work for cleaning it out. Buy a cheap soft toothbrush and use that to clean out the polish. I used a ton of toothbrushes and never scratched the car but definitely took the dried wax out of places you could get to with the towel or shammy. Also, from working on cars, you might consider using water when sanding with 2000 and 2500. Those high grit sandpapers work better with water. Just my two cents. Love the video. Thanks for making it.
Thanks. Good to know!
Do you think you could remove the wax from the center spindle even if the wax is dry already with this method?
You just brush it out with water?
@@kozman2712 a sink with an open faucet and clean running water is always your friend to get rid of stickier dirt into discs (vinyl, LD, CD, DVD, BD).
Just look if theres no hole piercing through the plastic layers - or, in some cases like home videos burnt into cheap media, the label isn't just paper covering the data layer - and took care to not dive the disc...
Simply splash some drops of water on its back (plastic transparent surface) and patientily rub it with your bare fingertips. Apply a tiny little drop of neutral detergent (like the one sold to wash dishes, but NEED to be neutral = transparent and without any scent!!!) before start the rubbing to help it slides better.
After you finish the clean, do some quick moves shaking the disc to run out most of the liquid and dry any remaining with a microfiber. Thats how i clean my glasses - that i need to keep 24/7 or will be almost blind - in adaily basis for the past 18 years. Even right now using the same pair for about 5 years its lenses aren't scratched given this care while most people i knew need new ones between 6 to 18 months.given scratches appearing in the glass/polycarbonate.
Some fine scratches at level six, with deeper groves at level seven.
Thanks Jerry
this worked so well! i am fixing old playstation games i had growing up and going to give them to my son who is getting into gaming. this fixed two games so far! 3 more to go. thanks so much.
Am I the only one waiting for him to insert the disc into the console at the end and show that everything is fine?
nope
Cool tutorial. Here is something to consider. If you know any woodworkers, they could probably build you a base out of some scrap wood about 8 inches square. . In the very center drill a hole and conter sink the screw so it doesn't scratch your table. Figure out a way to use a wing nut, and some washers to hold the disc in place. Clamp the assembly to the table. This way you don't have to use tape, and your hands are freed up to apply consistent pressure to the disc. Thanks.
Hell yes! What you're doing and talking about is great. Thanks for the videos!
Glad you're enjoying the videos! Stay tuned for more!
just recently started watching and im glad i did as this upload is perfect timing, just got back into collecting ps2 games again and need to fix my def jam fight for ny!
Glad that you found some good knowledge from my videos
This is the first notification I received from you in a while. I use to get notified alot before but now your channel must be flying below the radar. I sold my JFJ easy pro because it was trash and it kept putting a double ring on the disc when I was done. I was fortunate to find a professional machine at family video when they were going out of business. I copped the machine and all their games before those resellers knew they were closing. I cleaned them out and now I have more games than I can play lol. Have enough space is getting to be a problem but a GREAT problem to have. Good video btw helping others and I'm sure it will come back to you 10X.
Yeah that JFJ is a pain in the ass and a mess. I remember I broke my breath of fire 3 on that thing back at game crazy lol. Man you lucked out on that pro machine. They are expensive as hell. My ghetto method surprisingly does a better job than the JFJ and many pro resurfacer. I guess the best part is that it allows for you to have better control over the treatment of the disc.
@@GacktCognac those professional machine are crazy expensive. It cost me like $300 which was a steal considering what they go for. It came with mad pads and solution out the a$$. It was a blessing definitely a blessing for sure. It's good to see you are growing a fan base and people like your sh*t.
This means I don't need a disc repair kit to resurfacing any discs for all?
This worked for me, i had a ps2 disc that wouldn't boot, tried toothpaste and other tricks but no luck. Watched your video and followed your guide and now the game boots, loads and works. I plan to do this with any other discs that might be too messed up to work
if you have a harbor freight near by, the cost for this would be half the price of what you showed!! :)
drill about $10
attachment $3
polishing materials >$10
Polishing sand paper (800 to 4000 grit) $5
Good to know
BTW you can use a pencil eraser to clean sandpaper pads.
i have been useing a buffing pad on my dvd's and it's been helping a lot thnk you
Glad it worked out for you!
Clean it til theres no protective layer left lol..I used toothpaste with straight kines from center to outer edge all around the disc. Saved me about 20-25$
I do this too! I highly recommend using 3M polishing compound, it makes a world of a difference. And to cool it, I usually pour ice water on it.
haha I'll have to try that out
Hi,really appreciate this vid cheers from AUSTRALIA.
I'm sure this does work and I'm probably just being a stickler for the rules / conventions, but most resurfacing techniques emphasize a near excessive use of water to reduce heat and keep from going through layers too fast, and a dragging motion of your abrasive across a spinning disc rather than a swirling motion in small circles to take layers off evenly and(this is up in the air) resurface "with the grain" of the data layer.
It's probably not a big deal especially if you report good results, but it's something to note for people looking to develop their own technique. You should make a video showing you making previously unusable discs work again, especially since this video is one the only videos on the subject of DIY resurfacing👍👍
id recommend painters tape over packaging tape, but other than that, good video. Thanks!
I tried this on our family’s Mario Party 4 and it wouldn’t read anymore when it had worser scratches previously. It actually was able to smooth down the bigger discs that I tried it on that were considered scrap as practice, so the console might just come factory with a weak laser.
Just the tutorial I needed. Thanks man!
I love this. I used to do custom chrome work, and this follows the same principles. It also reminds me of headlight polishing. I know it could get messy, but have you tried it with water like the headlights to help prevent the overheating and possibly warping the disc?
It's basically the same premise. Water will work but i just dont have the facility to employ that. It also would eliminate some static that it may create.
Damn.....that shit looks brand new!!
Looking forward to your PS3 vid. I've got a spot on my super Slim I'm trying to get shiny again.
As soon as i find or borrow one ill post that vid lol
You just earned a major like, a subscription, and my full respect. Your disk looks fresh like glass. Talk about a mirror finish.
Do you have a link for the polish/buffing set?
Great video, really appreciate you explaining every detail of the process, planning to try it out, wanted to ask you though, about the buffing pad you just used, is it a 3 inch or a 4 inch pad? thanks in advance
Its about 3 inches id say. You can find them at a autozone or Lowes. They are basically headlight restoration buffing kits. Glad you found the video helpful.
4:58 NO don't do this, the tape may take some of the game information with it when you remove the tape, remember that the game or DVD information is on the label side , this is more precious than the reflective side, 4:58
That's only true for CDs. For DVDs and game disks, the data layer is sandwiched between two layers of polycarbonate
@Cerus98 DVD and game disc data isn't damaged by damaging the label. These kinds of discs have a separate layer of aluminum in between two thinner layers of polycarbonate - unless you grind all the way through *either* side of the polycarbonate, you won't damage the actual data.
CDs are produced differently, with the data being printed on the underside of the label itself, and only having one layer of polycarbonate. This makes them much more fragile on that side compared to other disc manufacturing methods, and it is possible to lose data by damaging the label side. This is probably why CDs degrade much quicker than other discs, and you can start hearing skipping after only a couple years of careful use.
@Cerus98 By his use of the word "information", it sounds like he's saying that the data itself is on the label. If that's what he means, then that's a CD thing, not a DVD thing.
I could be wrong, but I don't think he would speak with such urgency - or say that the label is more precious than the side the machine reads from - if he were only referring to the printed design on DVDs.
Awsome video dude I have Is JFJ easy pro but thank u for the idea if my machine takes nose dive will try this some day
This worked like a charm on my "Tekken 3" CD! You got a new sub!
Sup Mr Cognac!
Thanks for this tip video!
No problem. It had to be put out there as I've salvaged so many games with this method.
This is useful as hell great vid
Glad to be of service
Hey really great guide. what is the polishing pad made of? i tried today with a kit and its left micro scratches think i need something finer.
The polish pad i used was like fluffy Cotton or wool.
This is like the big guns of fixing stuff.... 😁 And I bet it is cheaper in the long run, than those yellow handheld polish machines.
❤️ the Zelda shop music in the background.
that's a good tutorial video, very useful, looking forward to the PS3 one
Right on! Just need to see if i can find a busted one to restore lol
Hope I got this stuff at the house, need this fr. Got a handful of games that need a resurface
Yeah let me know how it goes!
the tape i never thought of that sweet that pretty much fixed the problem i was having
Yo muy dude! You saved me bro! Thanks for making this vid
Glad to be of help for fixing your discs
Thanks boss, this was a good fix for some of my PS1 disks
Glad I could help
A great tutorial, I've heard some methods of polishing like this leave swirl scratches and marks when viewed under bright-light, is this anything you've experienced? Just thought I'd ask before I go out and buy the equipment. Many thanks.
I haven't had such an experience unless the polishing pad is old. Also using a higher grit sanding pad helps.
Very informative thankyou
Thanks for posting bro! I will definitely do this!
No problem, just be sure to practice on a disc you dont care about first so you can get the hang of it.
@@GacktCognac Yeah, like a Madden game or something. You can find those all day for $0.99. Lol
Fine job. I had the same idea. Ill have to take a trip to the depot.
When I was younger I used to use Brasso to get scratches off my discs lol. This way is better and safer.
hi, could you tell me for how much seconds/minutes did you scratch the surface with each sandpaper?
Thank you, you saved Forza Motorsport 2 for me!
Thank you for posting this bro but what if my disk has little cracks in the middle where the finger goes is it still safe?
Just tape the center up nice and then buff it as long as your doing it in a flat surface and your not going over the center with to much pressure your fine. You should use crazy glue on those areas to strengthen then if you want to protect them further into the future. I can do a video on that as well
true.. some cost $1500. family video had a top of line disc cleaner and they are out of buisness. i like plastx on mine. drill is good idea.
Great vid mate. What material is the buffing pad made out of? Is it wool or synthetic?
Thanks. Its synthetic foam pads.
@@GacktCognac thanks man. Really appreciate the response. Oh and new subscriber here also. 👍
No problem thanks for the support!
I had success making a scratched disk readable by buffing it with Nu Finish car polish.
glad it worked out!
what do you think about applying thin layers of crystal epoxy glue?
I like your style Sir
Thank you
I love your style brother!
Great i just tried this though i dont have a drill. the battery died on it.. i did this by hand and had good results..
Hey, man. I wanted to follow your fantastic guide but sadly i i don't have exactly the same type Turtle Wax product in my country. I've wanted to do it 1 to 1 to avoid damaging disks by using the wrong product, so i want to know the details about it, maybe i can find a similar product. What does it says, is it for plastic or metal, does it contain vaseline, wax or something else? Does it says that it have specific colour or its neutral? And finally does this method removes ps2 symbols of the disk or they are much deeper than the surface layer.
You can use nu finish, turtle wax and maguires. Any scratch polish that works for clear coating of cars will do. And the ps symbol is not on the plastic part of the disc its deep into the foil. Just remember to practice on some random disc before attempting on what you want to work on. It takes some time to learn to control the drill
Will you still use polish when a dry clean is enough and there's no need for the sandpaper?
Interesting.
I have been thinking of this for years but never dared to mess upp a disc that sometimes works and sometimes just jumps depending on the CD player quality. Ill try this on discs i have 2 sets of.
Best video. Thanx man.
dude before the video started, i would have never guested that you sound like this lol😂. love the content brother
Thank you!
2:44 I jammed a cork into a wood drill and used toothpaste on the PS2 disc, my games are very scratched , they still wouldn't play but they loaded a lot further than they have for years, they all used to never load, so I'm guessing the scratches are too bad , but if you have discs that don't work it's worth a try they might not be as bad as my scratches and the discs may work
this shit really works? ill probably test it on a cheaper disc first to make sure i get the technique right? Do I need a juntao drill like ryobi or will any drill work?
Any drill is fine. I just happened to have a ryobi. But definitely use a garbage disc to practice first. But yeah it works wonders lol
@@GacktCognac def will since im not privileged enough to own a $2500 resurfacing machine. Plus id trust myself over some limp wristed wanna be mark at a gameshop handling my $150 game in their machine
So does this method restore busted games back to working order?
If the game doesn't work due to the disc being warped or like it's been damaged on the data side then no. But light to medium scratches it can polish out easily. Ive gotten a lot of games to work that didn't load with this method after even removing half of the scratches. Heavy scratches takes more time and patience but if you carved a knife into it then it won't come out unless you buff it down to it being paper thin but you risk breaking the disc.
add some original hard shell finish turtle wax to give it protection against future scratches.
I honestly thought he was holding a heat gun in the thumbnail. I was just waiting for him to destroy his disc.
Great video! 👍
Thank for tuning in
Can you put the products you use in the description?
thanks, saved my phantasy star universe disc.
Now im trying to figure out why my disc doesn’t look as clean. I can see myself, it just has some real faint swirls on the disc. Is it because im not doing it long enough? Not applying enough pressure? What’s going on? 🤔
I do this same method successfully, but always end up with a bunch of very fine circular scratches around the disk, I get a mirror like finish.. but I'm not sure how to avoid the circular fine scratches around the disk.. is this unavoidable? Only thing I did different was use Meguiars plastx polishing compound instead of turtle wax. I wouldnt think that would be the issue but im not sure. Maybe it would be worth doing this with a 5 inch backing pad instead of a 3 inch one ..? not sure.
I think I figured out what is causing the circular scratches to show, your drill might not be up to speed on the RPMs! Idk but it might make a big difference because the compound said you need atleast 1500 rpm when applying. I’ve only been working with like 700 so this could be it!
Yeah, it looks cleaner. But does the game still play?
Yup. Ive never had a game not work after buffing. Only time it didn't work was when the disc was already warped prior
when did you put the solution on, did you put it on the buffer first or on thye disc,then on a low grit sand paper.
The solution only goes on the foam buffing pad which is the last step to polish. The sanding is first and no solution needed
Hmmm tried this and it doesn't work. Tried every kinda solution and polish. But nothing works it just stays super scratched to the sander
Apply more pressure
This is a great vid. Thanks for the tips and also showing us some easy affordable techniques.
Other than swapping cases, have you found a way to cleanup and "polish" some of the dvd style cases on say a pS2 game? I have some that look cloudy and sure I could buy other games and swap but I wouldn't mind restoring originals or just cleaning them up a bit safely. Sticker residue is easy to remove but the scratches on some of my cases make the game look so bad :(
Thanks for watching. Glad it was helpful. Unfortunately the cases are toast if they get scratches on them. Trying to buff them will just stretch and warp the plastic. Ive tried lol. There is a method ive been coming with in my head which i may experiment with. So i will keep everyone posted if it works.
@@GacktCognac Thanks, the best idea I have right now is swapping cases but it's hard(er) with 2 disc games since I need to research cheap ones to buy/swap out haha. Zone of the Enders/Devil May Cry 2 come to mind but yeah still a little hassle. Either way love your vids man and your attitude. Still blown away by your collection, it's inspiring to say the least and you have some great ideas for keeping your games clean/restoring them. I actually enjoy bringing new life to some of the unloved games so it's been fun matching loose copies with "case only" auctions on ebay that go for cheap sometimes.
LOL Where was this tutorial when we were kids throwing everything under the kitchen sink on the back of the disc trying to get it to work lol
Yeah lmao i remember as a kid all the things people did that made the disc worse like use toothpaste, peanut butter, and a banana. And those awful skip doctors that made the disc look like a kaleidoscope lmao
Hey man, can I also use this techniques for bluray discs ?
I havent tried it on blue rays but Im sure they work. I would test it on a bluray that you dont care about just incase. The only thing that bothers me is the coating on the disk. they are harder than the regular dvds so Im not sure how good they polish. it may take longer.
If anyone could help me I'd be eternally grateful because this is driving me mental.
So I'm from UK, I got a 4inch headlight buffing kit comes with grits 60-3000 and 2 short woollen buffers. I also bought separately headlight turtle wax restore(later realise this wasn't the item used I'm the video). I wasn't getting the desires finish as deep scratched were gone but I'm getting very light rotary scratches throughout the whole disc. I then thought it was the woollen pads/turtle wax was so I ordered the the correct turtle wax and some long woollen pads yet I'm still getting the very light rotary scratches as a final result of using only 3000 grit & buffing.
Hope someone has the answers I'm looking for, many thanks for any responses.
Might be too late here but Im currently getting the same results, Idk if its right but I think the circular scratches may be due to the lack of RPMs on the drill. Turtle wax says you need like 1500 RPMs when applying; Im looking into getting one with more power and hopefully thats the answer.
@@VGGamessonly just seen this response, how did you get on? Any improvements on your end results? I gave up 😢
question, should you be adding a bit of water during sanding or no ? also, the kit i got didnt have the 2000 sanding FOAM pad. it was more so just a 2000grit sanding paper sheet, is that okay?
you can add water if you want, however youll need the foam if you want a clean polish, the sanding will only get you so far as removing bigger scratches but will leave very fine scratches. The polishing pad along with the compound is what gives it a clean finish
@@GacktCognac Thanks for getting back to me. the kit i got does have a foam polishing pad. my question really is that your 2000grit is in form of what looks like a pad. my 2000 grit, is a sheet. just wondering if theyre basically the same thing.
@KennyW888 ah i see, they will do the same because 2000 grit is very light. The one i have is more like wool so its still as abrasive as the one you have
awsome so i followed your steps and its def much better than before ! thank you.
last question, so in certain lights i can still see some swirls/micro-scratches that the sandpaper left. is there a way to get rid of it compeltely and make it super shiny? do i just keep polishing?@@GacktCognac
What's up Gackt! I got a little kit from Amazon yesterday for my drill. I've been applying these same methods, but I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. Scratches aren't seeming to come out. What kind of material is the attachment for polishing made out of? I have 2 different sponge type things. Thanks bro
When I say scratches, I'm talking about the scratches from the sandpaper. Idk if my sponge is scratching it as well when I'm polishing. I'm using a product called Novus.
what grit of sandpaper are you using? You need to work your way down from a higher grit pad such as 2000 or 1600 grit and then as low as 600 to 800 grit for deeeper scratches. Then work back up to a higher grit until you get to the foam polishing pad in order to get optimal results. Also I hope youre using a disc that you dont care for as practice. it takes a few tries to get used to doing it. Keep in mind super deep scratches are no going to come out.
@@GacktCognac right, that's what Ive been doing. I've used 1200, 2000, 3000, 5000.
@J-Stilt 9 not sure how gritty is your polishing compound but that could be whats scratching the disc as well. The car polish seem to do fine with me. Ive used the 3m one and didn't get as good of a result.
@@GacktCognac Ok thanks for the response. I will just have to keep trying different things I think and see what ends up working for me. Luckily I have a huge binder with a bunch of junk discs, so I can practice a lot. I'll lyk what I come up with. Peace!
Great video thanks bro
Is it possible to get the same rusults with polishing by hand?
Not really unless you have steady hands that can polish at lightning speeds
@@GacktCognac Ha… call me Barry Allen 😂🤣
i am gonna try this on a couple CD that i got and only read in my best players because my portables refuse to read them properly.
can you do this on ps3 games? but will they also work?
looks great.
Can you do a video of removing scratches from the ps3?
Got a ? What if I is in the part you taped up do you do the same to restore it?
I would leave that area alone if it doesnt affect the gameplay unless youre really careful with handling it.
Excellent
I used ,nu finish after I sanded, the cd is cloudy, what should I do?
Cool, but im gonna need a poorer mans hack please.
I think I'll try buffing it with super speed hands and beeswax.
Does this work on every disk i bought a GameCube game on eBay that had a fair price an after i noticed it was because it was scratched badly
Yes ive had succes with gamecube discs as well. You'll just have to be more patient and careful with handling the disc as too much pressure will slingshot the disc across the room lol.
@@GacktCognac haha thanks man it was Luigi haunted mansion i shoulda read the description first he said it’s hit or miss works sometimes sometimes it doesn’t wanna at least see if somehow i can clean it up an get it to run great game for the collection or even resale since i got a good deal on it appreciate it man
No problem, So yeah its a great skill to have once you get the hang of it. I tend to buy a lot of higher end scratched games on the cheap and restore them like that. If its cheap enough its worth the risk. Ive only had 1 game not work because the disc was warped. So it cant fix that. But the dozens of games i bought on ebay that the owner thought was a goner just needed a good buffing and played like a champ.
It's too bad they don't follow this method when making the disk repair kits. I had more luck combining toothpaste and salt and using that as a "solution" in one of the kits (I think it was the Maxell one) a few years back, than using what they provided.
I remember those skip doctor ones were the worse. The created more scratches on your disc
Hello i have a disc dr will that be ok to use instead of the the sand paper step then use drill with the pad to buffing up the marks that the skip dr leaves?
the disc doctor is useless. it doesnt actually sand down the scratches. it just creates more scratches to hide the bigger ones
@@GacktCognac thanks for the advice what's the name of the kit you got?
When you're using the 2000 and the 1500 will adding water to the disc will that be a good ideal
Bonjour !
Je viens ici dans l’espérance d’une réponse.
J’ai acheté un jeu sur gamecube d’occasion
Celui-ci se lance mais il ne marche plus à un certain passage du jeu (à 5min de jeu)
Est-ce que le cd est foutu ou alors il peut encore être rattrapé ?
(Je pose la question car à chaque fois que je vois une vidéo reparer un cd, c’est au lancement qu’il fonctionne pas et non pendant un moment précis du jeu)
Gackt thanks for the tips I order something similar on Amazon trying to r
No problem. Hope it works out. Remember to test it on a disc you dont care about till you get the hang of it lol
@@GacktCognac yeah especially not silent hill the room lol 😂
Lmao ! Yeah had to flex that so some of the folk know i aint playing around haha
Nice!
Thanks!
Me sitting here with a rare copy of Futurama on PS2 debating if I want to risk this
You should practice on something you don't care about first till you get the hang of it
Or just spend a couple bucks and take it to a place that professionally resurfaces it.