PS1 disc scratch removal.

[Atari Master]

So before I get to the problem, yes, I did have the game buffed with a professional buffing machine... Twice. I don't know if the people running these stores just don't know what they're doing, or if maybe I'm just being anal. So I got this copy of Vagrant Story. It's meant to be sold as I already have a copy (a few extra dollars never hurts), but I wanted to get it buffed since it was a little rough looking. I went to a small local place and had it buffed. It looked fine after the initial buff, but when I got home I could loads of hair line scratches. They're not deep scratches at all, and the game plays, but again this one is going to be sold. So, a little annoyed I headed to a local Play N Trade, figuring maybe their machine was better. Got it buffed, got home, still has the goddamn scratches. I'll try to post a pic to give you a little more detail.

Does anyone know how to get these tiny scratches off? I'm just trying to give the game that new look again. I really don't want to try buffing again, because as you all know you can only do that so many times before the game is permanently damaged.

Help me Atari Age, you're my only hope!

 

Edited May 27, 2018 by Atari Master

[fiddlepaddle]

The $200 machines most game stores have aren't as good as the $1200 machines (look them up to identify which are which). Any is going to be removing plastic material I think, though, so you'll never be able to make it as good as new.

 

I have had some success making a disk look and work better by using a little bit of car wax rubbed in by hand.

[Tanooki]

I think you're expecting too much. What you're seeing there is what a retail cheap standard store buffer will do. It's about getting the game running 100% taking out the worst of it then polishing it basically, not about making it look factory fresh as that's just never going to happen again. Personally I don't care when a game is that jacked up, I'll use my Novus 1 2 3 kit and hand buff the hell out of a disc so it's got all sorts of fine line swirlies caused by me, but damnit they work. I've sold quite a few I've done that for with Gamecube and Sony stuff and never once had a problem.

[Atari Master]

There was a place with a machine that made them look new (that or they just always had new looking ps1 games), but unfortunately they closed down.

Maybe I should give the car wax method a shot? Hrm. :/

[0078265317]

Toothpaste works also. Any my family video buffed my broken dvd. Almost like new. No scratches.

[HoshiChiri]

I've always used the game stop disc fixer and done it by hand- like, actually by hand. With a cotton round. I can't say as I've ever noticed the fine scratches you've got there- but then again, I've never cared much for getting 100% new looking, as long as it's 100% new working.

 

I also think having them buffed for sale isn't inherently better or nessecary... I remember once losing & bidding on an empty case for a game, only to get a better deal on a CIB copy because the discs were refinished. (Ironically enough, the game was Vagrant Story!)

Edited May 28, 2018 by HoshiChiri

[Tanooki]

I've seen cases where it was like that but the machine was using some kind of filler. What was annoying about it was if you tried to ever clean the bottom yourself with anything wet, it would remove the fake shine back down to the buffed out hairline swirly finished off surface. It kind of made me wonder what kind of junk that was and if it was ideal to be exposing it to an optical style player (cd, movie, game, etc.)

[Atari Master]

I've always used the game stop disc fixer and done it by hand- like, actually by hand. With a cotton round. I can't say as I've ever noticed the fine scratches you've got there- but then again, I've never cared much for getting 100% new looking, as long as it's 100% new working.

 

I also think having them buffed for sale isn't inherently better or nessecary... I remember once losing & bidding on an empty case for a game, only to get a better deal on a CIB copy because the discs were refinished. (Ironically enough, the game was Vagrant Story!)

Do people care if a game is refinished? Don't see why that would lower the value so long as the game is working. *shrugs*

 

It kind of sucks that we've yet to find a way to actually add the layer back to a disc. This is why I don't generally collect disc games. : /

Edited May 28, 2018 by Atari Master

[HoshiChiri]

Do people care if a game is refinished? Don't see why that would lower the value so long as the game is working. *shrugs*

Based on what I've run into over the years, there's a small group that is concerned over the loss of surface area on refinished discs (and an even smaller group who thinks it damages a disc overall.)

 

It's not gonna stop most people, but there's just enough to affect prices under the right circumstances.

[Video]

As long as it plays, I don't worry about it. All resurfacers work the same way, grind the top layer of the disc down. The more expensive ones just do it at a finer grit to make smaller scratches. A buffing wheel can basically get rid of the scratches at a visible level, but still work the same.

 

Some games seem more prone to scratches than others, mostly due to the mindset of the people that own them, so some games are just going to be in worse condition than others.

[Austin]

On good machines and if the job is done right, it should look like new. I'm not sure what the deal is with the places you took it to, but either their machines up to snuff or someone didn't know what they were doing.

[Atari Master]

On good machines and if the job is done right, it should look like new. I'm not sure what the deal is with the places you took it to, but either their machines up to snuff or someone didn't know what they were doing.

 

What sucks is that I think that the store that had one that worked REALLY good on CDs just went out of business a few months ago. So now I'm shit out of luck sitting here with this scratched ass Vagrant Story. :<

[Austin]

What sucks is that I think that the store that had one that worked REALLY good on CDs just went out of business a few months ago. So now I'm shit out of luck sitting here with this scratched ass Vagrant Story. :<

I know it's not ideal, but there are online retailers that do it. I have experience with eStarland and their resurfacing jobs are excellent.

 

Like it's been said though, these machines do take a small layer out of the disc. I'd be wary about getting it resurfaced too many times. I've yet to have a problem, but I doubt I have ever resurfaced a single disc multiple times.

[mbd30]

I once managed to save a scratched Crash Bandicoot disc by polishing it with toothpaste so that I could dump it to my PC and play with an emulator. That's the only time that trick worked for me.

[Zap!]

I have a scratched Symphony Of the Night PS1 disk that is very scratched. Buffing it with toothpaste did nothing, as all the music and voice acting skip in my PS1. However, when it's used in my PS2, only a few musical scores have skipped. Is this because the PS2's laser is stronger?

[DJ Clae]

I've gotten a couple of used game discs over the years that don't boot at all. The toothpaste method didn't fix the issue.