2. misc-audio
  3. 185885-86555

playing "top-damaged" CDs ?

Hi All,

I recently had over a hundred CDs water-damaged in the recent Vermont floods. A few were savable after air-drying, and others are just plastic and paper glued into small art objects. However, many CDs have some amount of cover or booklet attached to the face of the CD.The question is can CDs with small strips of paper fiber attached to the top surface be played? What amount of "stuff" might affect the playing/rotation of the disc. The paper is firmly attached and will not come flying off, (nor will I try tp peel anything).

The equipment is an AudioLab 6000 CDT transport with read-ahead buffer.

Any input appreciated.

BTW - over 1300 CDs were above water and survived intact - what I lost was all my Grateful Dead, Hot Tuna, Loop Guru, and lots of reggae.

[Related query- will a radio station or library label on a CD affect playing?]

 

thanks,

Richard

richalan
coralkong's avatar
coralkong
702 posts
 

As long as the amount of paper is negligible, it will still play.

Why not try to soak the cds in question in warm water to see if you can then get it all off?

What I'd be most concerned about (with that particular CD transport) is that it is slot loading. The loading mechanism may very well peel off some residual paper on the top of the CD as it sucks it into the unit. That might lead to issues in the future with little bits of dust and such getting into the unit and more importantly, cobbing up the loading mechanism.

mahler123
3,528 posts
 

I have told a story here a few times, but back in the days when cars had CD players I had carried a few into the garage and one fell out of the jewel case unbeknownst and lay in my garage floor under a pile of winter slush.  A few months later the slush melted and there it was, with months of debri having been pounded into it by car tires.  I cleaned it off by soaking in the sink with lukewarm water and Dial soap.  I then air dried it and sprayed one of the commercial CD cleaning sprays, and to my surprise it played perfectly and I have been listening to it without issue ever since.

knock1
259 posts
 

The easiest way to find out is to try playing them.

carlsbad2's avatar
carlsbad2
2,023 posts
 

CDs spin at several hundred RPM.  paper stuck to them would cause some vibration which can never be a good thing.  

The paper is not glued, it is just water based bonded.

I would soak in water overnight in a broad plastic or pyrex dish.  the paper should float right off.  rinse in distilled water.

 

Jerry

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