Methods for destroying 100 CD/DVD Disks

[Petef56]

Over the years, I've collected 100 or more CD and DVD disks, many of which have sensitive data that I need to destroy. I'm contemplating the most efficient and effective way to destroy these disks. My thoughts below..

I have a large paper shredder designed with a special slot for destroying disks, but that's too slow and I'd probably burn it out doing 100 or more disks.

I'm contemplating bundling 50 disks at a time by stacking them and then using wire to bundle them all together. Then going outside where there's plenty of ventilation and using a propane torch to melt them all together creating a blob of melted plastic.

How's that sound?
Any other ideas?

---pete---

[EJIII]

Your idea should work, but be aware that they may continue to burn after the torch is removed. Thick, black, toxic smoke is not something you want in your backyard.

I'd lay them out singly on a steel plate, or just in the dirt. Burn a section from center to edge and you're good. It would be faster and marginally safer to do it with a 4" grinder, or cut 'em in half with a pair of tin snips. Tedious, but safe!

[David M]

Take a stack of them and cut them in half with a bandsaw. No smoldering mess this way.

[Petef56]

Originally Posted by David M Take a stack of them and cut them in half with a bandsaw. No smoldering mess this way.

I don't have a band saw and a my tablesaw seems to dangerous due to shattering of the plastic.

However, you made me think of my 5HP shredder..
5.5 HP Chipper Shredder

I'll try the shredder sometime in the distant future and post my results back here.

---pete---

[Petef56]

Originally Posted by EJIII Your idea should work, but be aware that they may continue to burn after the torch is removed. Thick, black, toxic smoke is not something you want in your backyard. I'd lay them out singly on a steel plate, or just in the dirt. Burn a section from center to edge and you're good. It would be faster and marginally safer to do it with a 4" grinder, or cut 'em in half with a pair of tin snips. Tedious, but safe!

Methods to destroy one disk at a time are plentiful. So, I'm thinking outside the box in that respect. I'll keep your warning in mind about the burning and toxic fumes. I figure if I can melt them together into one large mass, any attempt to break them apart would totally destroy them.

Cutting in half is not secure enough for my liking. Mainly because it's possible to retrieve data from fragments of disks.

Come on guys, is that all you have?????
Has everyone lost their ability to think outside the box?

Melting seems to be one of the best methods of doing mass quantities.
If burning is not desirable, how about using low heat of a BBQ grill?

How about something corrosive like a liquid that would dissolve the disks?
We know that certain marker pens will eat into the plastic and cause data loss. So how about soaking the disks in some kind of solvent?


---pete---

[SpywareDr]

Just shattered 22 in 30 seconds ... and I was in no hurry. I simply started bending them in half, (with one hand and one disc at a time), down inside a waste basket. No fuss, no muss, no biggie.

[Petef56]

Originally Posted by SpywareDr Just shattered 22 in 30 seconds ... and I was in no hurry. I simply started bending them in half, (with one hand and one disc at a time), down inside a waste basket. No fuss, no muss, no biggie.

I don't buy it. At least not with the Memorex CDs I have here today. I just tried the bending method and the disk temporarily bends unto a "U" shape without breaking.

I have broken CD's like this in the past and they suddenly shatter sending shards of broken plastic all over. It's not the solution I'm looking for. I'm looking to discover a new way to do 50 to 100 disks in one shot.

I do, however, appreciate your effort.
I appreciate everyone's effort in responding here.

I just did some quick experiments. I found that a CD disk will melt and collapse under it's own weight at about 300 to 350 deg F.

I also wrapped 2 disks in aluminum foil and placed them on a 600 deg metal surface for several minutes. No fumes, and they fused together and distorted sufficiently to totally destroy all the data. I think I'm on to something here.

---pete---

[birddog_61]

Put them in stack's of 10 or 20, lay them on a baking rack and put them in the oven at 350F for 45min or until crispy, let cool and serve.

Edit, I see you already tried an oven. You might try soaking them in acetone or gasoline.
Also one of http://www.greatnecktools.com/upload...mages/CBC2.jpg on the surface for a second should do the trick.

[David M]

How to fix a DVD with your microwave....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kS0paP2ekfg

[SpywareDr]

Originally Posted by Petef56 I don't buy it. At least not with the Memorex CDs I have here today.

Just tried two more:

Memorex
CD-R
Recordable
52X 700MB 80min
compact disc Recordable
Is it live or is it Memorex?

RFD80M-73616 80
E404JS412011501C23

And 3 of these:

Memorex
DVD+R
Recordable
8X 4.7GB 120min video RW
Is it live or is it Memorex?

VR5CH1-01018
T1-08CH1504303074B18.

(A bit slower to snap, but again, no problem).

It would be more fun though to chunk them into a lit BBQ grill and then pour on some LOX.

[Petef56]

Originally Posted by SpywareDr Just tried two more: [indent]Memorex CD-R Recordable 52X 700MB 80min compact disc Recordable Is it live or is it Memorex?

Ok, SpywareDr, I get it, you must have some very strong hands and
a bending technique that works for you. I just can't duplicate it here.

Below is a video that demonstrates just how difficult and hazardous
is can be bending to beak a CD. This is similar to my experience.
Bending/Breaking a cd - YouTube

Notice the large sections of CD that are not broken.
Data recovery experts claim that that those sections
can be read using special equipment. So this is not
totally secure.

Notice how he literally bends it in half and it does not
immediately shatter. Then suddenly it breaks and sends
shards flying. This is definitely NOT a safe or easy method.

If bending was so easy and safe, there wouldn't be so
many products on the market for destroying CDs, one disk
at a time. But still, that's not my motive here. I'm looking
for an easy & efficient method to destroy 50 to 100 at a time.

Again, I appreciate all your efforts.

---pete---

[David M]

I think you have to look at the odds of someone wanting to get the data off of one half of a DVD which would be zero.

[Petef56]

Originally Posted by David M I think you have to look at the odds of someone wanting to get the data off of one half of a DVD which would be zero.

When people pay me and entrust me with their data, I feel I should go the extra mile and do the best job I can. To me, leaving large segments of CD or DVD data intact would be less than professional, especially in cases where there might be easy ways to do the job right. I'm just looking for an easy way to do the job right.

---pete---

[martson]

I've had success with snapping DVDs/CDs but with a leather garden glove on the hand and held deep down inside a wheelie bin.

Perhaps another method might be to use a hairdryer on the high setting held close to the top side of disk, or perhaps even an electric paint stripper gun if you have one. Line the disks up 10 at a time and work your way along them. Melt rather than burn to avoid smoke.

Or ..since the data is held on the coating (top) side of the disk, rather than the shiny plastic side, just go through them and score the tops in a few places with a screwdiver or other sharp implement.

[SpywareDr]

Originally Posted by Petef56 I'm looking for an easy & efficient method to destroy 50 to 100 at a time.

As I stated above, place them in a lit Barbeque grill and then pour on some Liquid Oxygen (LOX). Do it right and they should be gone in less than 60 seconds . . . along with the Barbeque grill.

[Petef56]

Originally Posted by martson Perhaps another method might be to use a hairdryer on the high setting held close to the top side of disk, or perhaps even an electric paint stripper gun if you have one. Line the disks up 10 at a time and work your way along them. Melt rather than burn to avoid smoke.

Right, MELTING them is probably the best method.
Need more intense heat than a hair dryer to do the bulk CDs.
Need a way to control the temperature to be in the 300 to
400 deg F range. Also need a way to contain the fumes.

I'm contemplating using a paint can filled w/50 CDs.
Seal the can to contain the fumes and Cook them
in my BBQ grill (cover down) where I can control and
monitor the temperature.

One unknown; Would the outgassing/fumes become
explosive in a sealed can if the temperature reached
a certain level?

---pete---

[glc]

Build a campfire and throw them in. You could even do it in a living room fireplace.

[SpywareDr]

Like this:

[juppy]

Originally Posted by glc Build a campfire and throw them in. You could even do it in a living room fireplace.

That's what I do with them....well, sorta. We live outside city limits, so we're allowed to burn our household trash in a barrel. Toss the CDs in and they're melted pretty quickly. Pete, I'd offer to burn 'em for you if you wanted to ship 'em to me, but if it's very sensitive info on them you'd have to trust me enough to burn them (not like that's a problem; I couldn't care less what's on them). Only drawback of that is you're going to have shipping costs.

Only other method I've ever tried is the above-mentioned "bend it til it breaks" method......and yeah, that didn't turn out so good. Didn't know they would shatter like that and I ended up picking little shards of plastic up off the floor, out of the curtains, off the table, etc, for a good 15 minutes afterward.

[Bob338]

Use a heat gun. Even the cheap Harbor Freight model puts out 1800 degrees on high. Heat in the center of a tall stack, and on the sides, will destroy all you have in a short time.

[Petef56]

Ok everyone, thanks for all the help and suggestions.
I now have 2 good solutions...


GRILLED CD/DVD DISCS

1.) Preheat your outdoor gas grill about 5 minutes to
500-600 Deg F range. Monitor temperature using an oven
thermometer that stands on the grill surface.

2.) Make 1" high stacks of CD/DVD disks (about 20
to 25 disks) and wrap each stack into individual
packets using Heavy Duty Aluminum foil.

3.) Grill the packets 10 minutes each side with grill
cover closed. You will know it's done when you press
on the packet using metal tongs and can feel it has
softened and it's pliable.

4.) Remove from grill and allow an hour or more to
cool before handling. If you did everything correctly,
you will now have a solid mass of plastic with no
chance of anyone accessing your data.


BREAKING CD/DVD DISCS IN HALF

1.) Use a box cutter and a metal straight edge to score
a line on the disc dissecting it in half.

2.) To be safe, Put on safety glasses and gloves.

3.) Face the scored side of disk away from you and use
two hands to bend the disk on the score line. It will now
snap easily and cleanly into two pieces on the score line.
Just understand that it is possible to retrieve data from
broken discs like this, but it requires very specialized
and expensive equipment.


---pete---

[quartet-man]

How about running over them with your car.

[roaming_builder]

If it were me, I would:

1) Get a coffee can outside
2) Put the discs in it in a stack
3) Put a small amount of charcoal lighting fluid (NOT GAS) on the sides of the disc
4) Drop in a match let it burn for a short time
3) Dump a large glass of water on it to extinguish
4) Put the lid on the coffee can after it cools
5) Deposit can in trash. No mess, no cleanup.

I was thinking about this in the terms of what I actually have on hand in my house. When I say a small amount of charcoal fluid, I do mean small

[Petef56]

Originally Posted by roaming_builder If it were me, I would: 1) Get a coffee can outside 2) Put the discs in it in a stack 3) Put a small amount of charcoal lighting fluid (NOT GAS) on the sides of the disc 4) Drop in a match let it burn for a short time 3) Dump a large glass of water on it to extinguish 4) Put the lid on the coffee can after it cools 5) Deposit can in trash. No mess, no cleanup. I was thinking about this in the terms of what I actually have on hand in my house. When I say a small amount of charcoal fluid, I do mean small

Sounds interesting. You actually tried this?
If not, please post back your results after you try it.

I suspect it won't be so care free and easy as you might think.
If the plastic gets too hot it could catch fire and emit toxic fumes.
One glass of water might not even put it out or you might poison
yourself trying to get that close to it.

On the other hand, if not enough fluid is used, the flames will
likely go out too soon and not have time melt all the disks.

These are the reasons I went with more of a controlled heat & melting
technique. Even with my BBQ grill of substantial BTUs it took quite a
long time to melt a stack of 25 disks. It's very similar to grilling a
very thick steak or a roast.

Imagine putting some lighter fluid on a thick steak and lighting it.
All you will get is some scorching on the surface.

---pete---

[lostplanet]

Beg, borrow, steal or hire...

HSS Hire - Oxy-Acetylene Welding Kits Hire and Rent

a large space out doors, line them up however you want...check the wind is blowing away from you....

put these on...


go to town...

[lostplanet]

Or Get friendly with your local machine shop, get rid of that spyware toolbar that's been bugging them on there Windows 98 PC or sommin...

Clamp 25 or so in a lathe,
put these on



turn down until not much left. Repeat...

[lostplanet]

Get friendly with the guy who runs this...


Give him one of these...


Watch as he put's them in and give your new buddy one of these..


Put these on...


head home and open one of these...


Enjoy...

[lostplanet]

Get frieindly with these guys...



or these guys...


Give these to the dudes above...


I think the rest is pretty self-explanatory...

[Jbc223456]

Finally someone suggested using a firearm. I read this entire thread and not one single person suggested it until lostplanet. All I could read was about burning them or catching them on fire. Geeze, you pyro maniacs!

I was going to suggest taking them out to your back yard and use them as shooting targets. Just toss into the air with a 12-gauge and buckshot. Bing bang boom all gone.

[David M]

Eww...Budweiser. Dish soap. Is it only drank because it is a cheap high? Or do people actually like the taste?