How do you remove the color portion of a CD to make them clear?

Question

I'm trying to make my old CD's clear, like remove the artist and CD info, what do I use to do that?

Answer 1

the colored part is there for a reason. that is where the data is stored

edit: sandpaper?

Answer 2

Try boiling a CD in some water for a few minutes.  It will get softer (but very hot).  Once it is soft, try scraping the label off with a sharp edge.

I would recommend getting a new, cheap pot for this project: It's good practice to use different pots for art and for eating, and you don't need to make it non-stick or anything.

However, some CDs are not actually clear plastic once the coatings come off, so be warned.

Answer 3

There are some things to try in these suggestions from my site on using the foils from CD's for polymer clay, though they may work only on blank CD's:

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blank-CD foils

....Suzanne Ivester discovered accidentally that the foil on CDs would transfer to raw clay. Lisa

.......only the CDs you can record yourself will work --not pre-recorded ones (like purchased music or AOL ones)

..Yep, I did more experimentation and found that actually the heating isn't necessary at all

.....just make a cut around the inside and outside edge of the CD on the label side with an Xacto knife (don't need to press very hard)

.....then lay a sheet of raw polymer clay onto the CD (again, label side up) and burnish the clay to warm it and bond it to the film (you can watch the film separate from the back side of the CD through the clear plastic) ... cracks may occur in the foil as it's being gently removed from the disk, but that's part of the look

....I published a project-oriented article about this which tells how to make barrettes (and I also stamped into the foil-covered clay with a chain, and coated the foil with several layers of Future)

http://www.pcpolyzine.com/2004april/bare...

...or peeling the whole film off... I used an Xacto blade (this scratched the cd, but did not affect the film)... just start at one edge and press the blade under the film. Mine separated easily. Tim

... I just coat the cd with a layer of clay ... let it rest on the CD for a while, and then the foil will lift off. Pat C.

....Memorex makes blank CDs for music in 5 colors in one box! Deb J.

.......yes, but the color is in the *acrylic layer* though, not the foil itself (the film is almost always silver or gold). Tim

HTH,

Diane B.