What s In This User Guide? Getting started - repair a disc right now Getting to know your machine and how it works Advanced features of your machine Maintenance and other useful information
Getting Started Initial setup With the machine you will find a setup sheet which explains how to set up your machine. This includes a list of contents. Basic operation Choose a disc that has light scratches on it and place it shiny side up on the turntable. Repair process: 1. Switch on the machine. To open the tray press Open. 2. Place the disc label side down onto the turntable (platen). 3. Apply just one dab of the AC liquid on to the disc. Do not smear the AC liquid around the disc as it will clog the buffing wheel. 4. Close the tray and press Start. 5. After the repair process has finished, the Buffer will automatically eject. 6. The disc will be clean, dry and repaired, ready to go back in its case. If the tray has been closed for more than 20 seconds, when you press Start the tray will automatically eject. This is a safety mechanism so that you check there s a disc in the machine. Parts of the machine Carry handle Cleaner disc light Power switch Open button Start button Green LED Blue LED Fan Deep buff button Turntable (platen) Loading tray Air vent Rear screw AC inlet Inspecting a repaired disc The repair should have made a visible improvement. For more information on the repair process see Getting To Know The Machine. Red LED
Getting To Know The Machine Understanding the repair cycle Now that you have already repaired your first disc here is a more in-depth look at the process. The Buffer uses heat to soften the polycarbonate which re-flows the surface of the disc and removes the scratches. As the Buffer does not use complicated polishing compounds it means the machine is very fast, clean, and cheap to use. Its limitations are that it can only repair light to medium damaged discs. The Buffer is a single-stage disc repair machine and offers either a 30 second light buff or 60 second deep buff repair. The blue L.E.D The blue L.E.D indicates that the motor is spinning. You will not be able to start another cycle until this L.E.D goes out. Deep buff This button extends the standard repair from 30 seconds to 60 seconds. This increases the length of time the disc is heated and therefore repairs deeper scratches. The Buffer wheel With the side panel removed you will see the blue, pink, and yellow Buffer wheel. This is what applies the heat to the disc during the repair. The AC liquid The AC liquid is a conditioning, anti-static liquid which is essential to prevent static build up inside the machine. Ensure the liquid is applied sparingly, only one dab is required. Too much liquid will clog the Buffer wheel and reduce the effectiveness of subsequent repairs. Do not smear the AC liquid around the disc as this would apply an excessive amount of the liquid. This is NOT an abrasive polish and overuse WILL NOT aid the scratch removal process. The cleaner disc Over several cycles the AC liquid builds up on the Buffer wheel. The cleaner disc combs the Buffer wheel to remove and build up of any AC liquid and keep the Buffer wheel in prime condition. After 15 cycles two lights on the top of the machine will flash and the siren will sound continuously. This indicates that the cleaner disc needs to be used. 1. Place the cleaner disc on to the turntable with the comb facing upwards. 2. Apply AC liquid in the normal way. 3. Close the drawer. 4. Press Deep Buff. 5. Press Start. Now the machine is ready to repair another 15 cycles as normal. The Buffer is a maintenance machine and therefore is limited to repairing light to medium scratch damage only. Always use the AC liquid as instructed. Failure to use the AC liquid will reduce the quality of repair and increase the static within the machine. If the cleaner disc is not used when the lights flash you will find that on the next cycle the lights will flash and the siren will sound.
Getting To Know The Machine Replacing the consumables The consumables pack consists of one replacement buffer wheel and four bottles of AC liquid. Each consumables pack contains all you need to run up to 2,500 repairs. The machine will indicate the consumables need changing with a series of beeps. (See Understanding the signal tones section for further details). To maintain a high standard of repair it is important to change the consumables when stated. Replacing the Buffer wheels 1. Turn the machine off and remove the power lead. 2. Remove the back and two side panels. 3. Place one hand on the buffing wheels, firmly grasping them. With your other hand, unscrew the black Buffer wheel knob. Remove the knob, the rubber spacers and the used Buffer Wheels. 4. Place the blue buffer wheel on the motor shaft followed by a rubber spacer, then the red buffing wheel, then another rubber spacer, then the yellow buffing wheel, followed by the knob to secure the lot in place. 5. Replace the back and two side panels. Resetting the counter If you do not reset the counter, you will not be alerted when the consumables are due for changing. 1. Switch machine off at the rear. 2. Close tray if open. 3. Press and hold the start button while switching on the machine at the back. 4. It will beep 3 times to acknowledge the reset. 5. Let go of the start button and use the machine as normal. Buffer wheel assembly If you are having difficulty unscrewing the knob, get a flat-end screwdriver and place it in the notch on the shaft behind the blue wheel. This should give you enough leverage to loosen the knob. Replacing the platen pad The grey platen pad is a semi-durable part and wears during the repair process. It needs replacing every two consumables packs. To replace the platen: 1. Peel the worn pad away. 2. Clean any remaining adhesive from the surface with something like white spirit, ensuring that the surface is flat and clean. 3. Align and affix the new platen pad discarding the old one. GameCube repairs Using a GameCube adapter (included) it is possible to repair GameCube discs. 1. Clip the GameCube disc into the adapter then place it onto the platen. 2. Run a repair as normal.
Maintenance And Information General maintenance The machine requires little maintenance but it is essential to keep it clean in order to produce the best results possible. Over time there will be a build up of fluff inside the machine. This is normal and is caused by the cleaner disc combing the pad. It is important to remove this fluff occasionally. This can be done either by hand or with a vacuum cleaner. Understanding the signal tones Your machine will make a number of different tones during daily operation, it is important to understand the meaning of these tones so you can carry out the correct course of action... 1 Beep Indicates the start of the repair process. Ordering consumables Consumables pack: 0187293000181 Platen pad: 0187293000167 Always unplug the machine before removing the side panels. Cleaning the cleaner disc It is important to keep the cleaner disc in good working order. The metal ridges will gradually fill with fibres from the Buffer wheel, reducing the cleaner disc s effectiveness. We recommend using a damp cloth or nail brush to remove the fibres. 3 Beeps Indicates that a cycle has been ended by an emergency stop by pressing the Start or Open button during a repair. 5 Beeps Indicates that the Buffer counter has logged 2,400 cycles, and that the Buffing wheel should be replaced soon. If the wheel is changed, remember to restart the counter. 10 Beeps + 2 beeps Indicates that a minimum cleaning of the machine is required. If the tone continues, a full cleaning is required. As well as the consumables listed, there is also a range of parts available to order. There s free shipping for all orders placed online at: www.totaldiscrepair.com/buffer Alternatively, please call: 01202 489 500 Disclaimer: Reasonable care has been taken in the preparation of this information but Venmill and the product distributors extend no warranties, make no representations and assume no responsibility as to the accuracy or suitability of this information. Judgements as to the suitability of information herein or the purchaser s purposes are necessarily the purchaser s responsibility. Notes 1 x 15 Second beep Indicates that the buffer counter has reached 2,500 cycles, and the wheel should be changed. 1 x Siren & flashing lights Indicates that the Buffer cleaner disc needs to be used on a Deep Buff cycle.
Disc Types CDs: Light & medium damage only... When discs were invented the process of construction was quite simple. These are what we call CD discs. To produce the disc, a solid polycarbonate disc was made. Then the data layer was applied to the top surface of the disc. To protect this data layer, a lacquer, or label, was then applied over the top of the data layer. Data Label DVDs: Light & medium damage only... The early CDs were mainly used for audio and so often a small scratch was not enough to disrupt the data. However as the data on discs became more complicated it became more important to protect the data layer. On DVD discs the data layer is sandwiched in the middle of the disc between 2 pieces of polycarbonate. This protects the data layer and makes the disc virtually indestructible. The only issue with this type of disc is that the two layers of disc can separate around the whole in the centre of the disc, although this is quite rare. Data Label Blu-rays: Not repairable with this machine... With the invention of High Definition (HD) there was a need to carry more information on a disc and soon the data space on a DVD was not enough. Sony solved this with the invention of the Blu-ray disc. Hard coat Data Label This made the data layer quite vulnerable because any scratch to the label could damage the data layer beneath. If a scratch has reached the data layer it is not repairable. Disc repair can only repair the polycarbonate on the underside of the disc. Formats: Audio Books Audio CDs CD-ROMS Playstation version 1 discs Because the data is so protected virtually all DVD discs can be repaired by the disc repair process. Formats: DVDs Playstation 2 discs Xbox Wii DVD ROM It is essentially the same as a DVD with 2 main differences: 1. The polycarbonate on the bottom of the discs is much thinner than a DVD and so the number of times that the same disc can be repaired falls to around 10-15. 2. The polycarbonate on the bottom of the disc has a hard coated lacquer on top of it. This hard coat reduces the chance of the disc being scratched in the first place, but nonetheless scratches can still happen. Formats: Blu-ray film Playstation 3