Restore your iPod nano to new condition with a $4 can of Brasso
Written on 9/27/2005
[Edit: Wednesday 9/28/2005 5:30PM - by request, added two pictures with flash of the finished nano, see the bottom of the story.]
First off: Apple responds to iPod nano screen concerns. Yay! Apparently there was a screen problem with a small number of nanos. Apple is fixing those nanos. Good for Apple for doing the right thing. Also, Derrick Story appears to be psychic, when earlier he said “It almost sounds like there are two types of nano screens out there… possibly from two different vendors supplying them to Apple?” Good going Derrick.
So, you have a black nano and now realize that you should have purchased a case or a cover for it. But, it’s too late now, it’s already covered with barely visible scratches and marks that you can only see under a 500-watt lamp. Oh no! What will you do? Never fear, I put my nano at risk for your sake. I had read on Slashdot and a few other places that Brasso can restore an iPod to like-new condition, but I didn’t believe it myself, and I was a bit worried that it would have some sort of bad reaction with my iPod, such as melting it. 
After all, a $4 can of Brasso can’t compete with $20+ third party creams and polishes, can it? Read on…
Preparation
I happened to be in the grocery in the cleaning aisle and saw a can of Brasso on the shelf. I knew then what my evening project would be. With the wife and kid in bed, I set up for my experiment. I had iKlear for cleaning the iPods before and after, my old 3G 20GB iPod, my two black iPod nanos, a can of Brasso, some cotton rounds for initial cleaning, and a small and large microfiber cloth for applying Brasso and cleaning it off afterwards.
My 3G iPod’s back was quite scratched over time. I think it still looked fine, but I thought it would be a good test for Brasso to see if it did any permanent damage before I started on the nanos.
I cleaned the back with iKlear, then soaked a cotton round with Brasso and got to work. Look at all the grime it started taking off! At this point I thought maybe I was onto something with the Brasso, but I was also afraid that I was about to melt my iPod.
Here’s the finished back of the 3G iPod. It looked much better than when I started, but since the back was already quite scratched, it was hard to tell if the Brasso actually removed many scratches or just removed the dirt and polished off the surface. It didn’t appear to do any damage, though, so I decided to move on to the nano.
My nano had picked up a few scratches here and there while carrying it around. I should emphasize that these scratches weren’t visible under normal conditions, only under bright light. The flash photos here really show every little blemish, though, and you can see that the nano did pick up a lot of grime and small scratches with a bit of use. To me, this isn’t any different than my 3G iPod and I could have lived with the marks, but the urge to experiment was too strong. Notice the small horizontal scratches on the right side of the middle and bottom of the nano, and the tiny circular scratches in the close-up photo of the screen.
For the nano, I switched from using cotton rounds to using my small iKlear microfiber cloth. My theory was that the microfiber was a lot softer, I didn’t want the cotton to make more scratches. I put some Brasso on the cloth and started working it in. I used light pressure, barely pressing at all and letting the weight of my hand do the work. I also held the nano in my hand so that I wouldn’t scratch the back by cleaning the front on a hard surface. Also, I think it’s a good idea to try not to get any Brasso worked into the gap around the clickwheel, although I didn’t have any issues with gunk getting stuck there. I worked the Brasso in for a few minutes, and it appeared to be working! The small scratches were gone, and the ones that were slightly deeper were faded. I discovered, though, that brasso takes a long time to work. I slowly worked over the front of my nano for about 20 minutes. Then I let the Brasso dry, cleaned it with iKlear, and polished the front with my large, clean iKlear microfiber cloth. Let’s see how it turned out…
Holy. Crap. I feel the need to assure you that these are actual unretouched photos of the final clean nano. The same one that I showed in the “dirty” pictures above. As you can see, the Brasso got rid of every single scratch. My nano looks completely, totally brand new. Again, believe it or not these are actual “after” pictures! I’m very, very impressed. If you don’t get these results, get back to work on the nano with the Brasso. I’m confident that with enough time you can remove any shallow scratch.
Ok, so now you’ve got a second chance to have a flawless nano. I suggest you put the nano in a baggie and don’t touch it until you have a case or a cover for it. I talk about a few options for covers in my article here.
Last thoughts
I should emphasize again that I was quite happy with my nano and its condition, even with the slight scratches. I don’t think the nano has a problem with being excessively prone to scratching. That said, it was completely amazing that I could remove every scratch with just a little work with Brasso. If you wish you had put your nano in a case before you used it, you now have an inexpensive way to get a 2nd chance.
Edit: Additional photos (by request)
By request I added two photos of the finished nano taken with a flash. This is actually hard for me with my digicam and poor photography skills, since the nano is now so shiny that it focuses on the reflected image, not the nano, and I have no idea how to manually focus my digicam. Rest assured that I’m not trying to pull one over on anyone. My nano now looks completely brand new, just like the day I got it. Really!
Restore your scratched ipod nano with brasso
So Apple have been in the news recently for their iPod nano not being up to scratch, but the nano can apparently be restored using a four dollar can of brasso.
I imagine most people will take theirs back but if you are too lazy or want to keep yo…
Does Brasso fill in the scratches somehow, or does it use abrasiveness to wear the plastic thinner, making it shiny again? I’d use the Brasso regularly if I weren’t afraid that if I did it too many times that I’d wipe the front plastic off the thing…
Andy,
It’s a very mild abrasive. As I said in the article, I’d consider this your “2nd chance” to have a perfectly clean nano and put it into a cover or case. I wouldn’t consider Brasso a way to get a 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, etc… chance.
I do think it would take many cleanings before you came anywhere near removing the nano’s plastic covering, though.
Did u use the brasso on the screen too, or just the body?
Casey,
The screen and the body. As you can see, it removed the scratches from the screen with no issues.
This is a great tip!!! I work for a compnay called OtterBox and we actually make waterproof, interactive iPod cases, which ultimate keep iPod scratch free. Our OtterBox for iPod nano will be available this December…so yes, everyone will have to hold out with the plastic bag method for awhile longer.
Check out our blog at http://otterbox.blogs.com for more tips on how to protect the nano with a mico-thin screen protector. Thanks for the info!
Fantastic! do you think I could get this to work on my PSP as well? The screen has some “mild” scratches and I’d like a “second chance” with it as well.
Simichrome is a slightly heavier abrasive metal polish that is great for removing scratches from CDs.
Thom,
I think the black nano and the black PSP are very similar so yes, I think it would work. Just keep the pressure light and take care around the buttons or other areas where the Brasso might get into the guts of your PSP.
Blogicus Interrupticus
Today’s dose of NIF - News, Interesting & Funny … Hump Day edition
[...] This innovative way of repairing a scratched nano screen was devised by Todd Dailey. On his blog entry he says this: “I should emphasize again that I was quite happy with my nano and its condition, even with the slight scratches. I don’t think the nano has a problem with being excessively prone to scratching. That said, it was completely amazing that I could remove every scratch with just a little work with Brasso. If you wish you had put your nano in a case before you used it, you now have an inexpensive way to get a 2nd chance.” [...]
I concur on the Brasso! I have used it over the years to clean all things plastic! I have used it on plastic watch dials, motorcycle and helmet windshields, my outer iBook Case, 3G iPod and Mini screens. People think I am nuts when I tell them to use it. Also, it would take a lifetime to polish off the screen of an iPod. The material it removes is infitesmal hence the need to work it a long time. Simichrome works well but is more a Paste based product and is messier to use on small areas than Brasso. With Brasso you really can’t feel any grit in the liquid. Try it, it only hurts the first time.
Does this work for other iPod’s?
Todd,
It should work on any iPod, yes. I think the main thing to watch out for is to use Brasso sparingly on the cloth so that you don’t get Brasso into the small gaps around the clickwheel and the buttons on older iPods. I think it’s possible (but not likely) that if you put a huge lump of Brasso right on the gap and worked it into the inside of your iPod that you could do damage or leave a deposit of Brasso in the gap that would be hard to remove.
Do you think that it will remove scratches off the clickwheel on 4Gs?
Thanks so much for this. I’m relieved. I happen to think the nano’s susceptibility to scratches is unusaully high even among high gloss plastic objects. Should you use a case? Sure, but Apple doesn’t give third party suppliers any details in advance, so cases are still weeks down the road. And since Apple doesn’t make a general purpose case for the nano that was available at launch, it’s hardly acceptable to tell customers they should have used one. So, the CYA going on here is understandable, but not enough. A company like Apple should offer to replace nanos that early adopters are unhappy about. Apparently they can pay some folks to Brasso the returned ones and then sell ‘em as reconditioned!
I’ll have to give this a shot on my Photo. Thanks!
Interesting! I looked at the back of your Nano on your pics and it shows 20GB?!!! Are my eyeballs deceiving me?
Pimp,
Nah, that’s my third-generation 20GB that I used as a test before I cleaned the nano. I wish!
its amazing how he didnt take a pic of the finished nano witha bright light like he did when he started. huh. wonder why?
Jim,
While I didn’t use flash, the light was pretty bright and you can see from the angled shots that the prior scratches are gone. I assure you that the nano looks really, really good. I’ll take a flash shot when I get home tonight and add it to this post so that there is no question. I thought this shot was good enough to remove all doubt:
http://todd.dailey.info/images/nano/nano4-nanodone2.jpg
but I’ll try to make you happy.
of course it doesn’t fill it in…it polishes down the areas surrounding the scratch. it doens’t take much to cause light to defract.
Thanks for your tip. Maybe I’ll try it this week.
But - Umm, many nano’s ARE more susceptible to scratching. We aren’t just whining about nothing… We are whining about a real defect. My white nano’s screen coating got marred in only 2 hours in my loose, empty shirt pocket. Really.
Do you think I could try this approach on my iBook?
this is a great idea, i was just wondering if brasso would work to polish the screen on a cell phone? i don’t own a ipod so i don’t know if the screens are made of the same substances but i would assume they are.
Gerry,
Sure, depending on your scratches it should do a good job. Brasso is only going to remove shallow scratches, not deep gouges, but it won’t hurt anything and I’m sure your iBook would look better after a good Brasso session.
Yes I think the nano is way more susecptible to scratching. I went to best buy a few days ago and they have 20 or so mp3 players on display. The nano is the newest player and looks like the oldest player due to its condition. In fact today on the way home from work I decided to stop at a differnt Best buy and didn’t see the nano on display. I asked the girl, “You don’t have the nano yet?” she said, “yes it’s over there in the case”. I said hmmm. gettting too scratched up hunh? She replied, Yeah. I said ohhh and walked away.
I know at stores like that items take a beating. No other player had a single sign of scratching. I doubt apple will do anything other that quietly increase the quality of the plastic.
Brasso is the lasso on scratched iPod Nano screens
Holy golden lasso, Wonder Woman, look what else a can of Brasso can do besides polish metal:
One enterprising new iPod Nano owner didn’t stand by idly with a scratched screen, he ran to the store and bough a $4 can of Brasso. Then he went to wo…
You guys are so spoiled. “I cleaned it with my large clean iKlear, and i polished it with my new Brasso blah blah blah.” just use a paper and some polish wax. period.
[...] Here’s the skinny: Todd Dailey - Weblog - Blog Archive - Restore your iPod nano to new condition with a $4 can of Brasso [...]
At the risk of sounding naïve, why is the iPod clickwheel gray in the before shot and black in the after?
Dean,
The before shot used flash, the after didn’t. (Actually, I didn’t do this on purpose, the room lighting was right on the edge of needing flash, so my digicam sometimes used it and sometimes didn’t.) Someone already requests an “after” pic with flash, which I’ll take when I get home tonight.
Am I the only one who noticed that the before pic nano has a gray wheel, and the after nano pic has a black wheel???????????
WTF?
Oh, ok I guess Dean just asked that question.
[...] Todd Dailey - Weblog - Blog Archive - Restore your iPod nano to new condition with a $4 can of Brasso Restore your iPod nano to new condition with a $4 can of Brasso [...]
I returned mine I dont want something this prone to scratches for a portable music device.
nanosentback,
Sorry to hear you’re not happy, I think the nano + a sturdy case or cover is still a better option than any other player I’ve seen. You might consider getting a 6GB mini before they are gone. They are really nice devices, and practically indescructible with the anodized aluminum case. My wife’s 4GB has held up really well. It’s a lot bigger than the nano, of course, that’s the main drawback.
What brand/model of player are you considering at this point?
[...] Actualización 28/9/2005 @23:33 Algunos otros usuarios se han quejado de que el nano se raya con facilidad. Justo el mismo problema que tengo yo con la parte metálica trasera de mi iPod 2G de 40GB. de Apple en este caso no puede hacer mucho, si bien recomienda el uso de fundas protectoras. Este problema puede evitarse con un buen limpiametales de esos que mamá usa para limpiar la cubertería de alpaca. Todd Dailey lo ha documentado aquí. [...]
Will this work on a PowerBook? I have a few small scratches on my PowerBook’s case, and want to remove them. Will this void its warranty if I can use it on there?
And, this will not void the warranty on the iPod, correct?
Chris:
On an aluminum powerbook, sure, I’m sure Brasso would work fine, just don’t get any Brasso liquid into any of the ports or other open gaps. The old Titanium Powerbooks had a paint chipping issue, and Brasso might make that worse. For TiBooks I’d say check out this site:
http://www.tipaint.com/
Re: warranty - well, scratches aren’t covered under warranty, so I’m sure that scratch removal doesn’t void it.
I’m not qualified to answer that question from an official or legal perspective though. I’m sure if you accidentally poured Brasso into the dock connector and it stopped working that Apple would suspect something. Third party vendors such as radtech, who makes Ice Creme cleaner for the iPod, don’t mention any warranty issues on their site.
Ok, thanks. It is an aluminum PowerBook, so I’m sure it’ll be fine, now it’s just finding some. Any suggestions?
I found it at my local Albertson’s. I’d say any large grocery or drug store would be a good bet, and any hardware store would be really likely to have it too. Look in the cleaning aisle, you should be able to find it there.
I’ve used Brasso for years on my cheapo plastic crystal pocketwatch to remove all the scratches from the screen. The stuff works miracles on plastic.
Don’t use Brasso on aluminum. Says so on the can.
I like Jewler’s rouge (comes in dif colours to inidcate the abbrasive quality) with a little help from my dremel. Alas, the big box hardware stores never seem to carry it…so brasso is lot easier to find, just a little more elbow grease to apply.
That nano brand new look
What if you don’t want to brush-metal your nano but can’t live with the scratches?
Enrico,
Ahh I see that now that I’m home, I see they recommend their silver polish, Silvo, for that. Good catch.
Hi! I love this and I’m going to do this this weekend. One question:
You mentioned that it’s bad to put the Brasso in between the cracks. Can I still use it on the clickwheel?
[...] ex-Noveller Todd Dailey blogs on making his iPod Nano perfect again. [...]
[...] using just a can of Brasso and some elbow grease.read more | digg story Permalink | Comment | Print | Trackback url | Cosmos |BlogPulse [...]
thanks… I might try it.
To “Question!”:
Yes, I think you can safely clean the clickwheel. I’d recommend using a cloth that is pre-soaked with Brasso, using as little as you can. I think as long as your cloth isn’t sopping wet with Brasso you’ll be fine. I wasn’t particularly careful on mine, I just did what I just said and used light pressure. Since the clickwheel isn’t smooth, I’m not sure if Brasso will be able to remove any sort of deep gouge. My wife’s clickwheel button is a bit scratched though, so I’ll try to work that out.
You wrote: “My theory was that the microfiber was a lot softer, I didn’t want the cotton to make more scratches.”
Wow did you get that backwards!
Microfiber is VERY abrasive. It’s polyester fibers split in half to create a very sharp edge on each fiber.
It’s well known that if you routinely use microfiber to clean wood you will eventually ‘haze’ it. Basically tons of miniscule scratches.
OTOH that’s propably why this worked so well. The microfiber polished off the scratches. That’s also why the 3G ipod didn’t come out so well. You used cotton there.
thanks so much! I’m excited to do this now, as I was PO’d that my iPod nano was so beat up in a measly day!
first, i want thank u for this info.
———-
Q:what was the brasso u used? where could i get it?nd is ikear neccesary or is optional?
Personally, my favorite abrasive for polycarbonate plastics is toothpaste. I’ve used it many times to polish out a mark on a CD.
For metal, I use a brand called metal-glo, which starts out as a pinkish paste. Once you start to rub it, it turns black (scary,but it’s supposed to do that). The black is aluminum oxide, which forms when you expose the paste to the atmosphere, and the slight heat that comes from the friction. I’ve used metal-glo for years on brass and nickel whistles, and they always come out mirror-bright.
I haven’t tried metal-glo on plastics, and it contains some solvents, so I’d try it on an old CD first to make sure it won’t soften the plastic.
One last thing: there’s a product called “Micro-mesh”, which is basically an extremely fine-grit sandpaper. It feels like construction paper, and it’s what the airlines use to polish aircraft windows. I’ve used it on softer plastics than polycarbonates, and it did a dandy job.
-jcr
same question as james, is it nessecary to use iklear to clean off the brasso? would a damp (with water) microfibre cloth work fine?
This isn’t going to work on a Mini, is it? Isn’t that material different from a regular iPod’s or a Nano’s?
to as:
Oh, interesting! I’ll have to hit the 3G iPod with the microfiber and see what happens.
to james:
Brasso is available in most large groceries, drugstores, and hardware stores, I would think. Look for it where the cleaning supplies are. iKlear is definitely not necessary.
John Randolf:
Thanks for the tips!
[...] Does your iPod nano have unsightly scratches, Bucky? Ed Oswald at BetaNews points to the ultimate do-it-yourself fix from Todd Dailey: So, you have a black nano and now realize that you should have purchased a case or a cover for it. But, it’s too late now, it’s already covered with barely visible scratches and marks that you can only see under a 500-watt lamp. Oh no! What will you do? Never fear, I put my nano at risk for your sake. I had read on Slashdot and a few other places that Brasso can restore an iPod to like-new condition, but I didn’t believe it myself, and I was a bit worried that it would have some sort of bad reaction with my iPod, such as melting it. After all, a $4 can of Brasso can’t compete with $20+ third party creams and polishes, can it? Read on… [...]
Buy Brasso Stock Now
I’m with Cameron Reilly on this one. Go buy Brasso stock now. Check out why Brasso is a geek’s best new friend on Todd Dailey’s Weblog.
hmm, I dont know. why in your main picture do you show having 2 ipod nano’s yet your experiment only called for one… and those are pretty astonishimg before and after…maybe too good.
hey will this work on a white nano, i want to know b4 i go and try and end up with a not so white nano
nathan:
I was going to clean my wife’s nano too, but it got a bit late and I decided to do that later.
justin:
I’m sure it will, I used it on the front of my 3G 20GB with no trouble.
When I first buy any new iPod (yes I have bought and resold many) I go out to Best Buy or any computer store and buy the clear plastic screen protectors used on palm pilots. I cover the iPod all over except for the controls. The screen is still easy to see and the rest of the pod looks fine. When I’m ready to unload or sell the pod I peel off the clear pastic and it looks like a brand spankin’ new iPod! My 2¢ - Bill PS - Brasso seems cool to use on an old iPod before adding clear plastic. and “no” I do not have plastic covering my lazyboy chair.
[...] Update: Looks like Todd Dailey has performed some fine polishing with Brasso on his Nano. This seems to restore the Nano back to “like-new” condition. [...]
To the skeptics: why would he have any reason to lie about this? Do you think he works for Brasso or something?
Since the microfibre cloth seems to be very important in that process, I am wondering where can I find one? Is there a well known brand of microfiber cloth? Maybe in the car polishing section of a hardware store?
denis:
I think cotton balls would work nearly as well. If the earlier comment is correct, microfibre could make it a bit easier, but I wouldn’t go out of your way. My microfibre cloths came with my iKlear kits, but I think the car polish section of a store could be good.
Now I want to go buy stock in brasso’s company…
And microfiber cloths can be bought at most supermarkets and places with a section for glasses. the cloths are the things you use to clean glasses with.
[...] Irgendwann Ende des Jahres wird man sich erinnern, da war doch was mit verkratzten iPod Nanos. Scheint so als hätte jemand eine Lösung gefunden. So, you have a black nano and now realize that you should have purchased a case or a cover for it. But, it’s too late now, it’s already covered with barely visible scratches and marks that you can only see under a 500-watt lamp. Oh no! What will you do? Never fear, I put my nano at risk for your sake. I had read on Slashdot and a few other places that Brasso can restore an iPod to like-new condition, but I didn’t believe it myself, and I was a bit worried that it would have some sort of bad reaction with my iPod, such as melting it. Todd Dailey - Weblog - Blog Archive - Restore your iPod nano to new condition with a $4 can of Brasso [...]
Good to see the spirit of experimentation lives on!
Presume the micro-fibrecloth used is similar to the one I use for my digicam lens, cost c$4.00USD.
Brasso joins the elite list of wonder products, right next to WD-40.
Best wishes from an English hilltop village.
Cool. This is probably common knowledge by now, but how can I get two gouges (from a cat going nuts on it) out of the screen of my 3G ipod? I think they’re too deep for Brasso. Am I screwed?
Well I just went out and bought some Brasso, tried it on my white iPod nano, and it seemed to dye it a bit yellowish — plus, it didn’t really take care of all the scratches. And trust me, I worked on it for a looooooong time. Did you have similiar results with the older iPod model you tried it on?
So my experience was less than desired. Now I’m just waiting for the invisible shield I just applied to dry and we’ll see what happens. I’ll probably end up just not caring and treating the nano as I do my cell phone — just throw it around. Thanks a lot, Brasso.
Anyone want to buy a slightly used, yellowish, 4GB iPod nano?
Why the hang up about scuffs and scratches - isn’t it all a bit anal?
Your ipod is unique once it’s got a few ‘life-marks’, that’s part of it’s individual charm!
Sean,
I didn’t get any yellowing of my 3G 20GB, are you sure that you got all the Brasso off of it? It dries to a yellowish color. I cleaned mine off with iKlear afterwards, and it’s definitely not yellowish at all.
This looks good and I will be trying it on my black Nano, but one has to ask why make the product so susceptible to scratches in the first place? Am I missing something but I have never had my shirt do a number on anything before like it has on the Nano.
Yeah, you could worry about this……..
or you could just acknowledge the fact that you’re just listening to what is pretty much just an overpriced walkman. You’re gonna feel pretty stupid in a year’s time when the fad’s worn off again (as it always does with portable music players) and you realise that its shiny brassoed cover won’t increase its $10 value on ebay.
[...] You can make your own nano case in vinyl, chamois, paper. Before you protect it though you might want to clean up those scratches with a can of Brasso. [...]
To focus on the shiny nano, put a piece of paper on the top of it, focus, remove the paper and take the pic. Being 100% in focus doesn’t really matter because you’re going to reduce the image size drastically anyway.
Great post ! These pictures are awsome !
[...] FURTHER UPDATE: If you have a scratched iPod Nano, you can get rid of the scratches using Brasso! [...]
[...] If you’re anything like me, the absolute terror of adding another minute scratch to any gadget is everpresent! Enter Todd Dailey, who has sacrificed his iPod to show how a simple polishing job with Brasso can revert a scratched gadget to its former glory! [...]
Does anyone know if toothpaste works?
WOW! Looks like Brasso is going to be my new best friend. What about icleaner??? Has anyone used that??
[...] Full article with description of the process and before/after pictures here. [...]
[...] Checl out this link it tells you how to restore you iPod for $4.00The Link [...]
Now if you really want to make the nano shine while adding additional protection, filling in tiny scratches left after polishing, go get some Plexus plastic cleaner/polish ! Available at most motorcycle dealers.
JMS in TX
do you think that this would work with my powerbook g4? i got some dirt n grime on it and i wanna get it off. like fingerprints etc. but i dunno what to use.
[...] That said, if you do want to get rid of the scratches, you can always use Brasso… [...]
Flitz is another cleaner to consider. A polish and cleanser that is milder.
Hi,
I put my Nano in boiling water for 5 minutes to clean it.
It looks weird now. Do you think Brasso can fix it?
Clueless Hal
Clueless - I suggest you jump after your Nano to retrive it.
After that, get your IQ examined. I suspect it will be in lower 60s.
MwM! (Moron with Money)
huuuuuugs.
Brasso..reminds me of Marine Corps boot camp and all the hours spent slaving over brass belt buckles with a DI yelling at us and throwing things.
BE CAREFUL. “$4 Can of Brasso” means effectively that you have to buy a NEW can. Don’t go using an older, fermented, can. It becomes more and more abrasive the longer it sits, as Brasso will seperate. Just, be careful. I ruined a 1G iPod with Brasso once, and I have never forgiven myself.
-Frank
Restore your Scratched iPod nano to New Condition
The Apple iPod nano scratches and screen problems have been big news lately, and it was good to see Apple respond to the nano drama, but who’s coming up with solutions? Todd Dailey takes on the scratched iPod nano
Nunya,
GOOD CATCH!!! Twid, explain that!!
Nice job!
I also recommend wearing rubber pants with the pockets lined with a thin layer of brasso, and keeping the nano in there. (Make sure you wear rubber gloves dipped in brasso.) In fact my entire apartment has a thin layer of brasso. You might think this is going a little overboard, in which case, I must seek you out and neutralize you.
wouldn’t polish do the job as well for example mr sheen ( not sure if available in US) or something similar on the lines of furniture polish? it’s more wax’ed based and would be less abrasive, because brasso and silvo is more for cleaning metallic surfaces and would be ideal for the back but not for the front.
on the other subject of nano cases, here is a discussion on the apple website has a couple of good links to some nice nano cases that will be available, especially like this one:
http://www.speckproducts.com/for-nano.html
http://discussions.info.apple.com/webx?14@553.auoRaJ6wWsR.1@.68ba99ab
jdubb11,
Um, I did? See my comments earlier. The “before” pic was with flash, the original “after” pics were not. I updated the story with “after” pics that used the flash.
are you sure that you got all the Brasso off of it? It dries to a yellowish color. I cleaned mine off with iKlear afterwards, and it’s definitely not yellowish at all.
Yes, I’m sure I got it all off — well, as sure as I can be. I used iKlear also (I have a bottle for my PowerBook).
[...] Todd Dailey might have come up with the solution that might save Apple lotsa money over the iPod nano being easily scratched - Brasso. [...]
[...] On Todd Dailey’s Blog [...]
[...] Link: Restore your iPod nano to new condition with a $4 can of Brasso [...]
Is there an alternative product to Brasso that would be available in Switzerland or France?
[...] Looks like a simple can of Brasso is all you need to say good-bye to your scratch iPod woes. Even the scratch prone nano seems to be easily repaired to it’s previously beautiful status. Todd Dailey has full run down of instructions on his website. This reminds of the old fix for scratched CDs using Turtle Wax. [...]
Will bottles of Brasso soon look like this?
http://macspec.net/articleimages/brasso.jpg
I wouldn’t put Brasso anywhere near an iPod
There seem to be a lot of people suggesting that Brasso is the way to remove scratches from damaged iPod Nanos.
I don’t know if Brasso is the same stuff in the US that it is here in the UK (here’s is a thick, mustard-yellow cream th…
Thanks for testing it and sharing the results…
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! I just tried the Brasso trick on my 4GB white Nano and it worked like a charm. My iPod had sufficient scratches that pictures on the display were beginning to look distorted. I had an old can of Brasso under the kitchen sink and figured I’d give it a shot. I shook the can well to make sure it wasn’t separated. I put a small amount on a paper towel and tested a small corner of my iPod to make sure the Brasso would not make the problem worse. It didn’t I used a sparing Brasso to dry and checked my progress. Each time I checked the scratches were less and less visible until they were gone. The same treatment worked on the back and my iPod is back to ‘just out of the package’ condition. Thanks again for the great tip!!
Quoting:
Sean Sperte Says:
September 29th, 2005 at 8:02 am
are you sure that you got all the Brasso off of it? It dries to a yellowish color. I cleaned mine off with iKlear afterwards, and it’s definitely not yellowish at all.
Yes, I’m sure I got it all off — well, as sure as I can be. I used iKlear also (I have a bottle for my PowerBook).
RESPONSE: Hey Sean, try using the hand you jerk off with (it will be stronger and able to wipe the Brasso off better). Oh, and please stop being a lazy whiner. The poor guy said it took a looong time to get all the Brasso off, and he did it as an experiment to see if it would work.
I think it’s great someone was willing to experiment on their iPod’s for the sake of all humanity, and lazy ass “bring it to me on a platter” people like you make me want to “thin the herd”. LOL LOL LOL
Thanks TWID! Awesome work! To hell with those who think you’re an undercover spy working for Steve Jobs! (smile).
GG
Hey there !
I am living in France. I do not think “Brasso” is sold over there. Any idea what could be closest?
time to make a trip to the local market and get some Brasso
I’ve had my black nano for 2 weeks, I have taken it out with me on walks 3 times, and it looks like its 4 years old…. it will be real nice to recover the beauty and then wait for the skin I ordered to arrive to protect it
thank you for the tip!!
Hello!!
Does Brasso work on the back of the ipod nano????
You only tested it on the front!
[...] If you’ve got scratches on your Nano, Todd Dailey tells you how to restore things with a simple can of Brasso. [...]
iPod Nano Scratches - Solved!
iPod Nano Screen Scratches - Solved!
http://www.noscratch.com/novus/
this stuff is MADE to remove scratches from acrylic. Like tropical fish aquariums, G4 cases, and iPod screens.
Twid,
Do you know if the Brasso whould have any effect on the laser engraving?
Interesting, I wonder if Brasso will work on the lens for my Nokia 3650 — I scratched it somehow, and it now takes strangely fuzzy pictures.
I used brasso like five minutes ago… and it didn’t seem to help that much… did i do something wrong?
I worked in a small amount on both sides for about 15 minutes each.
I let it dry.
I wiped it clean.
Why didn’t it work?
lol.
Tommy:
It didn’t affect the engraved Apple logo or serial number on my 3G 20GB iPod, so I think you’re safe. You’d have to take off a heck of a lot of metal to get the engraving off.
After reading all these posts, I’m thinking seriously of trying Brasso on my polycarbobate progressive lens eyeglasses. Slight scratches are driving me nuts and its big bucks to replace them. I’m terrified that I’ll end up with permanently dulled lenses…anyone have any experience with this (well, terrified might be a bit strong, but if I have to replace them and can’t see for a week I’ll be f***ed for sure)?
Unfortunately for Apple, the story about Nano’s scratching has already been featured on UK national radio. Good for Apple offering to exchange, but it’s nice to know there’s a simple remedy out there.
I bought a 60gb ipod photo and had it a week and the screen got scratched. After a couple of applications of Brasso, it was just like new again. It doest work on the back though. I highly suggest doing this if your screen is scratched. Now as regular maintenace, I will shine it up with Brasso. I dont freak out about scratches like I used to.
[...] Todd Dailey cleared his iPod Nano’s scratches with Brasso. Four bucks, too! I don’t know why you have to have a case with it, especially since they market it to be able to slip into your pocket. Adding a case makes it that much bigger. Anyhow, the before and after photos should inspire you to go out and buy some of this stuff. I think I’ll spend some time using Brasso on my 3G iPod. I still think they shouldn’t scratch that easy. (Golf clap: Robert Scoble) [...]
I use a mobile phone polishing product called “Displex”, it does an amazing job.
[...] I was able to completely make my black iPod nano like-new with no scratches, using just a can of Brasso and some elbow grease.read more | digg story [...]
Just a tip on your camera (donno if anyone else have pointed this out).
To “manually” focus your digicam, press on the ‘Shoot’ button (the button that you press to take pictures) just lightly, not all the way in. That should make your camera to adjust focus to whatever is in the middle of its view. If you can’t focus the camera on a shiny surface (like your nano) because it’s focusing on the reflection, do the “half-push” on your ’shoot’ button and let it focus on something more solid-looking that is at about the same distance as the real object that you want to photograph (like your nano). After the camera focuses on another object that’s about the same distance as the object that you want to take pictures of, don’t let go of your finger from the ’shoot’ button (nor press it futher–it’ll make the camera to take a pic) and take a picture of your nano. You can apply this “half-push” technique to other things, too. Hope it helped.
Is there an australian product that anyone in australia knows that is similar to Brasso?
Instead of using a baggie until my case arrives, I had my girlfriend help me wrap the nano in plastic wrap. It sounds silly but it works. The plastic wrap sticks nicely to the front and we simply tapped the back with clear tape. I’m quite happy with the results.
Hey Todd, I’m sure I can find the Brasso and cotton rounds pretty easily, but what about that microfiber cloth? Also, would you have any insight on alternatives to iKlear you can buy at a B&M store? I would love to do this for my 10GB 3Gen iPod - just without the iKlear.
Awesome article!
Dominic, you can find Brasso in most supermarkets in Australia (Woolworths & Coles have it for sure - usually near where the turps and metho are kept).
Hey, I thought my Nano screen was scratched, but then I realized it was my eyeglasses. Do you think Brasso would be safe to use on my plastic lenses?
nice one nearsighted. anyway my nano is still “on its way” to me. stupid delivery. it’s kinda slow. anyway. is brasso a liquid or what. a gel? what is it? coz im still really worried that the Brasso (whatever it is) will just flow in the click wheel and as everyone knows. Electronic does not like liquid.
sooo….?
aa. - brasso is a liquid near the consistency of really muddy water, I hold the microfibre cloth over the top of the brasso container, tip it sideways and only use as much as will touch the cloth in that time. Then rub into the screen first, and by that time it’s spread out through the cloth so it’s no different to wiping down the nano with a damp cloth. the rest of the nano follows, and you’re done.
I think I must have one of the scratch-free nanos, as my first application of brasso made it WORSE. many minutes of light rubbing later it was mirror-clear again, though. I wouldn’t do it again unless it was really scratched up.
are u sure it works on the screen. because i have a pretty big scratch on my screen dat goes half way horisontially in the middle. i didnt see any scratches on ur screen in ur pictures before u used the brasso so i dont noe if the brasso works on the screen and the body. also any tips on how to not get the brasso into the clik wheel. where can i buy iklear?
If you’re in France and want to find Brasso (or other British goods), you could try:
http://www.bestofbritish.fr/products5.htm
(On their website they say they sell Brasso)
Locations:
Aix en Provence
Brive
Carcassonne
Civray
Condom
Confolens
Feneyrols
Figeac
Ligueil
Mirepoix
Perigueux *
St Remy
Trie sur Baïse
* Temporarily closed for relocation. Reopening September 2005.
Would Bar Keeper’s Friend work about the same as Brasso, you reckon? If so, I may try it on my hubby’s 3G iPod tonight.
Will this work on 4g non-color? Sorry if this has been asked before but there are so many posts.
Thanks,
Milo :: Milo.psunit.com
Just a quick note DON’T use toothpaste!! I used it last Friday when I noticed a small mark on my Nano screen. It left fine scratches!
Conclusion; toothpaste is good for removing permanent marker from hard surfaces but causes fine scratches on Nanos! You can also use it to clean your teeth as well by the way (!)
P.S. Thanks for the Brasso tip!
Excellent! Thank you for being brave and saving the rest of us the heartbreak that is the scratched Nano. I have a White Nano, and it still has a few light scratches over the screen. So I will be polishing soon. Thanks again, you brave, brave soul!
For some reason my nano is getting the most scratches at the corners on the back. Any ideas why? oh yea, great spelling dark blade. way to go (I rais my thumb to you…)
it is also obviouse that todd is NOT a jobsy henchman. Does someone PAY him to do this? Is he getting stock for this? no. no no no. Shut up whiners!
well, after reading this I am really interested in trying this with my nano.
I have one question though, in the article it says that after 20 minutes you cleaned it and then polished it. Can you clean it with a wet microfiber cloth and poish it with another cloth. Cause it said that you cleaned it with the iKlear. What do you mean by cleaning it with the iKlear?
I haven’t read ALL the posts here… but after seeing a couple mentioning polishing screens and the iBook, let me give everyone a word of caution.
All screens are not created equal.
ONLY attempt this if your screen definitely has a hard plastic cover over it. Many LCD’s don’t. Screens like that are usually extremely thin, and don’t react well to pressure.
That said, it’d probably work great on the iBook’s case, but don’t even think about trying it on the screen (there’s a reason they’re not reflective to begin with), or anywhere it could get into the case itself (abrasive + computer = possible damage. Possible serious damage. Especially with really fine abrasives).
On a slightly different note… know of a way to make an ipod mini get a mirror-like finish? I’ve considered pulling off the outside, and building a metal one…
I’m closing the comments on this one, folks, 140+ is enough. Please see the post after this one if you have further comments.