I've seen the threads about boiling DVDs to help fix skipping problems. Does this only apply to commercially pressed DVDs, or can you also boil DVD-Rs?

AFAIk, applies ot dvd-r's as well.

posting this question in the main thread about boiling dvd's didn't come to mind why?

Uhh boiling dvd-rs & cd-rs is a bad idea. The paper-like layer that info is written on is on the outside of the disc. If you boil it, then that layer is going to come loose & either fall off or become un-readable. Your best bet is to try & read the disc in a pc & make another copy of the disc. If the top part of the disc is scratched to hell you're probably s.o.l.

Yeah, I came to post the same thing.

This thread should be merged with that one or just closed.

I don't know why people keep making this assumption, but the reflective layer on DVD-R media is NOT on the outside of the disc. It is sandwiched between two polymer layers, even on single-sided media. However, the fact that the "pits" are created by a dye instead of being physically "pressed" into the reflective layer by a glass master means that recordable discs will probably not stand up to high temperatures as well as pressed DVDs will.