Repairing CD media games

[HatefulGravey]

So I found a box of my old PS1 games yesterday. I had an idea where they were but it took some time to dig to there. There are something like 30 games in there, most are in need a some work to get back to playable. My brother got them after I was done and he didn't take such good care of them.

 

I start thinking about a payment plan to have them repaired at the local game store. $5 a disc hurts when many of the games I have are 3 or 4 disc per game. Turns out I can get the JFJ Easy Pro for $150 and save a pile of money. This is something like what the local game store is using.

 

Does anyone have experience with these things? Are they really what they claim to be? Is there something else I should be getting instead of this thing?

 

As I get more into CD games I'm going to want to be able to repair them myself to save time and money so its just a matter of time anyway.

 

Thanks for your time.

[Lord Helmet]

I always try polishing them with toothpaste and cotton balls before I do anything else. Usually works like a charm.

[HatefulGravey]

I always try polishing them with toothpaste and cotton balls before I do anything else. Usually works like a charm.

 

I have heard this before. I worried about it damaging the disc in the long run as it doesn't put a new layer of protection, just removes the damaged one. I'll give this a shot on something I have 2 or something and go from there.

 

How are you doing this, just going at it with toothpaste seems a bad idea?

[SlowCoder]

I thinking I also heard somewhere about using banana peels. Don't think it's removing anything, probably just creating a film. And I suspect it can't be considered permanent.

[Rybags]

Toothpaste is lightly abrasive which is why it's recommended.

 

Also you're supposed to use strokes going straight from the middle to the edge, don't go around.

 

Optical discs are much more tolerant of scratches or marks that go that way as opposed to ones that are circular.

[tz101]

Brasso polish works alright. Skip DR is also a nice system for relatively cheap. $5 per disc to be buffed at the game shop is expensive. Shops around my area charge about $2-3 per disc.

[CRTGAMER]

Not plastic cleaner but plastic polish. The good stuff is used to polish scratches out of old convertible top plastic windows.

 

[HatefulGravey]

I picked up a few more disc games yesterday from the store I was talking about. 2 of them would play but needed work to get them to play right. I asked them to resurface them for me and they wanted me to pay them for fixing games I got from them that didn't work right.... I explained that I could just buy the machine myself and take my business else where. They seemed ok with this, so there is the final answer.

 

I should point out I spent $200 in there yesterday getting gifts for friends that like older games. You would have thought they would be willing to help me. Guess not.

[SlowCoder]

Yeah, that's not cool, especially if it's a mom and pop store (you didn't say). The store we have here seems to be pretty cool. It's not a mom and pop, but part of the Games 4 Less franchise. They'll help out when they can. My only complaint is the cost of stuff. They want $60 for a NES console (no games), and at least $5 for games.

 

I apologize, as I wandered from the original conversation, yapping ... yap yap yap ...

Edited December 23, 2010 by SlowCoder

[fiddlepaddle]

Tips I've learned about repairing disks:

 

-You can't fix some disks, no matter what. If you hold it up the sun and see light coming through, and it doesn't work, it probably won't.

 

-the label side seems to be more fragile than the side the laser reads. If the disk has one of those "label protector" stickers (or Blockbuster style ID labels), DO NOT try to remove it. You'll likely peel off some data.

 

-clean with windex first and try it.

 

-lay the (clean) disk upside down (shiny side up) and drip 91% rubbing alcohol on it until it covered. Let it stand for ten minutes or so, then dry it and wash it off. Not sure why, but lots of times this can make a marginal disk work. (I suspect it may melt the plastic a bit)

 

-I know of two Game Crazy stores that polished disks for $1 each (as of 2009, haven't been there lately). They also would polish them for free if I bought them at the store. If I went when they weren't busy (after they got to know me), they would do quite a few at a time for me for free while we talked about games.

 

-I've used plastic polish (as described above) successfully. Rub it in (center to edge) and let it dry, then buff (again, center to edge). I've never succeeded with toothpaste, myself. I've also heard that you can get various strengths of abrasive from jewelers (used on watches) and eyeglass repair shops.

 

-If it's a Sega CD disk, you can burn another one with your computer.

 

-You could probably build one of those spinning disk polishers with a drill, some foam pads, and some pine boards to build a box out of. Would need to experiment and find the right polish, speed, and pressure. I've seen a couple of homemade ones that seem to work well once everything is dialed in. Might even be able to use an old turntable.

[StoneAgeGamer]

They want $60 for a NES console (no games), and at least $5 for games.

 

Actually IMO $60 for a NES at a brick and mortar isn't that bad of a price, especially if they already replaced the 72-pin. I mean to buy an NES online and then have it shipped (they are kind of heavy) isn't going to be much cheaper (if at all). Plus you can see exactly what you are getting.

 

I have seen much worse prices on NES than $60.