Discussion Forums - Questions about SwapaCD

Hello. I posted this message at SwapaDVD, but I thought I'd also post it here:

My friend got me a SkipDr because I have some DVDs and CDs that skip or have a scratchy/hissing "burp." I sprayed on the resurfacing fluid, put the disc in the device, spun the wheel and got scared by the grinding noise. Has anyone used this or something like it? Does it really work? And what exactly is in the resurfacing liquid? Is it easy to buy another bottle if I run out?

I use something like that (I don't think it's the SkipDr but I can't think of the name of it offhand). It does take care of most of the scratches and marks, and I usually do notice an improvement in the sound, however I would not depend on it to get each CD perfect every single time.

Also, it leaves vertical strips. They don't affect the sound of the CD, but if you're trying to get a perfect-looking CD, keep that in mind.

i use it. it takes out small scratches from the surface but doesnt fix deep scratches or really bad skipping

I think the "resurfacing liquid" is distilled water.

And if you polish the surface with brasso and a soft cloth after using the skip doctor it will get rid of most of the vertical scratches it left.  It won't make it look pristine again but it will get you closer to a clean shiny looking disc.

The automated one I found worked better than the hand crank. My hand was not steady enough & got tired too fast on the hand crank.

It does fix light scratches.  You can order refills of both the liquid & the wheel.  I find they run out about the same time. (50 disks).

For really good resurfacing of scratched discs, try AzuraDisc.com.  They charge $1 per disc in quantities greater than one, plus shipping both ways.  They do a really good job.  The very worst discs don't come back perfect, but they do show a great improvement.

I use the Memorex Optifix Pro for my Dvds, Cds and games. 

I really don't like the Dvd Dr brand because of the streaks they leave on the discs.  You don't know how many times I've received a rental when I used to work at Blockbuster with these streaks on it and they wouldn't play right.  Using the hand crank is the worst because of the fact that you can't constantly turn the wheel fast enough to repair it correctly. 

I've used the automax dvd dr and I still got the streaks but it wasn't as bad as the hand cranks.  No amount of buffing would remove them as the instructions imply.  I used batteries at the time since it didn't come with an adapter so perhaps if I can find a compatible adapter I could get better results.

The Optifix looks kinda like a CD player except that there are two circular pads inside.  There are two different sets of pads depending on whether you are cleaning or repairing the disc.  It uses an aluminum oxide type repair solution.  I got this thing when it was being sold at Blockbuster and it works great.  As long as you follow the instructions and clean the repair pads after each use (this is very important otherwise the solution will dry on the pad and scratch the disc), you should be good to go.  I usually run it through the cleaning process first and then go through the repair process.  You may need to run it through the repair cycle a few times for stubborn scratches.

But I'm a perfectionist when it comes to the way my discs look, so the streaks are totally unacceptable regardless of whether or not it may actually allow it to play.

Christine:  How do you clean the repair pads?  I have the Averatec version of the Memorex Optifix (they're almost identical).  I still prefer the results I get by sending my discs to AzuraDisc. 

My kit came with a little brush to clean the pads.  You could run it under water while lightly scrubbing it with the brush to get the chemicals out.  Then you just let it air dry.  I suppose a clean toothbrush would be a good substitute if you don't have one of those.

Hmm, I've never heard of Azuradisc before, I think I'll check it out.

edited by SwapaCD Team

edited by SwapaCD Team

edited by SwapaCD Team

edited by SwapaCD Team

I have not had good luck with hand-held units that you manually crank or take batteries.  I own a JFJ Easy Pro that works wonders on 95% of damaged, repairable disks.  You do have to be careful not to melt the disk surface, so following directions is key. Each disk you repair brings down the price of the unit itself, though the consumables are a fixed cost.

I also say 'repairable' because there are disks that are not repairable.  If you can see light through the disk, like one or more little pin pricks or you can see the scratch from both sides of the disk, there is no way to repair and that disk is garbage. Once the metal layer inside the disk is damaged there is no repair. Other huge damage to the plastic coathing on the disk is not repairable, either.