Mac – How to emulate Mac OS 8 (in a way that supports CD-ROMs)

I am trying to install old software on my either one of my Macs (Powerbook G4 and iMac 21.5 from 2011).

This software contains old fonts in a very rare format, which I would like to be able to watch / install / convert (eventually).
I have tried opening the font files in OS X with almost every font program available (FontBook, FontDoctor, FontForge, FontLab, Fontographer, TransType4…) and have come to believe that they can only be viewed on an older system for which they were designed.

I opened another discussion about how one might open these rare / old file formats on today's machines but it doesn't seem to be possible.

So, the software I am trying to install is on three different CD-ROMS hat are designed for Mac OS 6/7/8.

I have two partitions on the Powerbook, one with OS X 10.3 that can run Classic (Mac OS 9.2), and one with OS X 10.5.3 (most recent possible system for this machine), this way I can go back and forth systems.

When I try to launch the installer CD in the Classic environment, the top menu bar becomes grey and Classic freezes, so I think this CD can only run on machines earlier than 9.2 / 9.0, such as 7 or 8.

On the iMac, I have SheepShaver with OS 9, Basilisk with OS 7 and Mini vMac.
None of these recognise the CD ("disk is unreadable).
If I create a .DMG copy of the CD, or a copy of the files, I can open and run the Installer successfully in the beginning (with Sheepshaver / System 9 and Basilisk II / System 7), but after a few registration steps, the installer program asks me to insert the CD and fails to recognise it. (I tried starting these emulators when the CD was already in the drive, no chance.)

I believe I could go and buy one of these old clamshell Apple laptop that runs 8.2 but I'd like to do without.
I also considered installing 8.0 with original install CDs into SheepShaver, but people online say Sheepshaver / Basilisk are usually touchy when it comes to recognise CD-ROMs.

EDIT:
Here's what fontographer does:

EDIT (2): I found out how to solve this problem.
Here's how: I created three read/write disk images, one for each install CD, using Disk Utility in OS X.
Then using BasiliskII, I added each .dmg file to my preferences window.

Upon restart, all three CDS showed up and could be used without the CD.

(In my previous efforts, I had not tried to convert each CD into a .DMG file or didn't know how to add them as drives into Basilisk.)

Thanks for the help! Can someone please mark it as "solved" if you have clearance.