Disc Polishing

[Jeronimo]

Anyone tried any method of polishing a disc to bring back its original luster/shine from when it was new? Any success stories? Any devestating failures?

 

[SkaBob]

disc...polishing?

Ok, so my dad's a sailor...he raced sailboats most of the time I was growing up. His boat was always dirty (except when he had my sister or I clean it :lol. He said a dirty boat's a fast boat.

Why?

Because while the guys with clean boats spend their time cleaning their boats over and over every time they get dirty, the guys with dirty boats are out practicing and racing and working to go faster instead.

If your disc is muddy, I can see cleaning it up...but polishing it? Seriously?

 

[Frank Delicious]

I sand my discs when I get them to get rid of that shine, a shiny disc is a slippery disc.

 

[Jeronimo]

If your disc is muddy, I can see cleaning it up...but polishing it? Seriously?

Yup, seriously. The plastic can get pretty roughed up sometimes when trying to remove a tough stamp for a dye. Then after you finish the dye you're left with a "new" disc that doesn't look new.

I sand my discs when I get them to get rid of that shine, a shiny disc is a slippery disc.

I do not agree. The coefficient of friction between your fingers and the disc is determined more by the plastic type than the surface finish. It's this very reason why I hate the grip pads on a Grip Line Spike, because they cause less of the disc to touch your skin which actually reduces your grip.

 

[cali]

I'm with skabob.

I carry a shammy cloth in my bag and just use spit to keep my discs clean.

Only dirty discs that bothers me is a putter. Dirt really likes to bunch up in the corner of the bead and can cause some serious problems with the flight.

 

[Frank Delicious]

If your disc is muddy, I can see cleaning it up...but polishing it? Seriously?

Yup, seriously. The plastic can get pretty roughed up sometimes when trying to remove a tough stamp for a dye. Then after you finish the dye you're left with a "new" disc that doesn't look new.

I sand my discs when I get them to get rid of that shine, a shiny disc is a slippery disc.

I do not agree. The coefficient of friction between your fingers and the disc is determined more by the plastic type than the surface finish. It's this very reason why I hate the grip pads on a Grip Line Spike, because they cause less of the disc to touch your skin which actually reduces your grip.

I'm going to have to disagree with this since lots of things get extra traction (or friction) by getting roughed up.

 

[Marmoset]

I used plastic polish and a buffer on the dome of an opaque orange ZXL.
36 hours later I had a gleaming, shinier than new ZXL.
The grip is interesting; grippier than regular if it is dry, slicker if it is wet.

My original goal was to polish off the indentions created by the hotstamp process and take a thin layer off the flightplate to make the disc slightly more gyroscopic (and illegal). After 10 minutes of polishing I could see that sanding first then polishing is gonna be the way to go.

But as far as cleaning my discs I just rag them off like everyone else.

 

[Marmoset]

If your disc is muddy, I can see cleaning it up...but polishing it? Seriously?

Yup, seriously. The plastic can get pretty roughed up sometimes when trying to remove a tough stamp for a dye. Then after you finish the dye you're left with a "new" disc that doesn't look new.

I sand my discs when I get them to get rid of that shine, a shiny disc is a slippery disc.

I do not agree. The coefficient of friction between your fingers and the disc is determined more by the plastic type than the surface finish. It's this very reason why I hate the grip pads on a Grip Line Spike, because they cause less of the disc to touch your skin which actually reduces your grip.

I'm going to have to disagree with this since lots of things get extra traction (or friction) by getting roughed up.

What about drag slicks or stock car tires? They have a "smooth" finishes (no grooves or tread).
The rough vs. smooth for traction issue is really application dependant.

 

[cali]

If your disc is muddy, I can see cleaning it up...but polishing it? Seriously?

Yup, seriously. The plastic can get pretty roughed up sometimes when trying to remove a tough stamp for a dye. Then after you finish the dye you're left with a "new" disc that doesn't look new.

I sand my discs when I get them to get rid of that shine, a shiny disc is a slippery disc.

I do not agree. The coefficient of friction between your fingers and the disc is determined more by the plastic type than the surface finish. It's this very reason why I hate the grip pads on a Grip Line Spike, because they cause less of the disc to touch your skin which actually reduces your grip.

I'm going to have to disagree with this since lots of things get extra traction (or friction) by getting roughed up.

What about drag slicks or stock car tires? They have a "smooth" finishes (no grooves or tread).
The rough vs. smooth for traction issue is really application dependant.

You don't need tread on drag slicks. When the rubber is heated from friction so quickly it actually begins to melt into the pavement giving you maximum traction. I don't think anyone is going to rip their disc hard enough to leave plastic residue on their fingertips.

 

[jnecessary]

If your disc is muddy, I can see cleaning it up...but polishing it? Seriously?

Yup, seriously. The plastic can get pretty roughed up sometimes when trying to remove a tough stamp for a dye. Then after you finish the dye you're left with a "new" disc that doesn't look new.

I sand my discs when I get them to get rid of that shine, a shiny disc is a slippery disc.

I do not agree. The coefficient of friction between your fingers and the disc is determined more by the plastic type than the surface finish. It's this very reason why I hate the grip pads on a Grip Line Spike, because they cause less of the disc to touch your skin which actually reduces your grip.

I'm going to have to disagree with this since lots of things get extra traction (or friction) by getting roughed up.

What about drag slicks or stock car tires? They have a "smooth" finishes (no grooves or tread).
The rough vs. smooth for traction issue is really application dependant.

They are also melted before racing in the case of drag and kept very hot by the conditions of a race car, to the point that they mold to the surface they are gripping to some extent. I think, while true, those examples don't really apply to a disc.

 

[SkaBob]

Your finger is rough, the plastic is rough. Pushing your malleable skin against a rough surface will cause it to take (if temporarily) the shape of what it's been pressed into, causing it to lock into place more firmly than if you did it with something smooth.

 

[Jkosk]

Think of your fingers as the drag/racing slicks and the disc as the road.

drag/racing tires do not do well on a slick surface, or if a slick surface is wet, like a slick wet disc.

textured discs definitely will increase your grip.

 

[Trey1331]

If your disc is muddy, I can see cleaning it up...but polishing it? Seriously?

Yup, seriously. The plastic can get pretty roughed up sometimes when trying to remove a tough stamp for a dye. Then after you finish the dye you're left with a "new" disc that doesn't look new.

I sand my discs when I get them to get rid of that shine, a shiny disc is a slippery disc.

I do not agree. The coefficient of friction between your fingers and the disc is determined more by the plastic type than the surface finish. It's this very reason why I hate the grip pads on a Grip Line Spike, because they cause less of the disc to touch your skin which actually reduces your grip.

I'm going to have to disagree with this since lots of things get extra traction (or friction) by getting roughed up.

What about drag slicks or stock car tires? They have a "smooth" finishes (no grooves or tread).
The rough vs. smooth for traction issue is really application dependant.

You don't need tread on drag slicks. When the rubber is heated from friction so quickly it actually begins to melt into the pavement giving you maximum traction. I don't think anyone is going to rip their disc hard enough to leave plastic residue on their fingertips.

This is about to get really nerdy but...

Ehem, purple erasor rhyno's leave not only part of the disc in your fingertips everytime you throw, but they also change the color of your fingers into the purple that they are... you can just rub your thumb across the flight plate and it comes off. Pretty neat, those rhyno's get flippy in no time. But they are veeeeeery grippy.

 

[Jeronimo]

The grip is interesting; grippier than regular if it is dry, slicker if it is wet.

This.

 

[SkaBob]

Is illegal.

 

[chiggins]

Is illegal.

It's not illegal! It's legal, and furthermore it's perfectly healthy and natural! It's...

Oh. Discs. Nevermind.

 

[edrift101]

I used to clean my discs after every game - now, I take pride in how bad they look.

 

[SkaBob]

Let's also not forget one of Blake's (I think) articles on why premium plastic discs don't fly as far or as well as base plastic.

Part of it said (if I remember correcty) that the better grip of the base plastic discs helps get more spin on them, and the lower wind resistance of the premium plastic discs causes less aerodynamic lift and stability, causing them to glide less and stable out sooner

 

[whridlsoncestood]

I sand my discs when I get them to get rid of that shine, a shiny disc is a slippery disc.

I do not agree. The coefficient of friction between your fingers and the disc is determined more by the plastic type than the surface finish. It's this very reason why I hate the grip pads on a Grip Line Spike, because they cause less of the disc to touch your skin which actually reduces your grip.

Jer you of all people should know this based on your shoe fetish. If you have a shoe and the treads are worn off completely do you have less or more grip on the surface you are walking on?

 

[cali]

Is illegal.

It's not illegal! It's legal, and furthermore it's perfectly healthy and natural! It's...

Oh. Discs. Nevermind.

I see what you did there...