Fiber optic polishing supplies + scratched CD

[-Laser-]

This isn't really a tech question or problem, but i think it more or less fits here.

There was a cd recently that I couldn't get to work because of a rather deep scratched on the bottom(top side scratches often mean you're screwed). Anyway, I'd already tried a repair kit thingy, and had had no luck. So, on a bit of a whim, I got out a kit of fiber optic polishing supplies(from a networking class I took last year), and used the special extremely fine sanding paper from that.(5 micron, 1 micron, and .3 micron). At first, it looked like I was only making it worse. But as I moved to the finer sheets, it got some better. In then end, the bottom of the cd, while there were no large scratches, had a somewhat soft look to it, with a handful of really small, not too deep scratches. I doubted it would read. However, it read fine, as in no problems whatsoever.

just an interesting little story.

[[cc]z@nd!]

i've heard that putting car wax, or rather, just waxing the cd will work. i suppose it would fill in the scratch with a suitable medium preventing refraction, but i've never tried. can anyone denounce or approve this?

by the way, thanks for the tip. i'm gonna have to find a store in tennessee (aka, waste a weekend) that sells that stuff in case i get in a fix because of a nasty scratch.

[a mammoth]

I've never tried that, but I have read in Popular Science that waxing it works, they also said that you could use tooth paste to clean them but not the gel kind

[[cc]z@nd!]

yeah, i heard about toothpaste, makes sense 'cause it is sorta abrasive.