But [Matthias Wandel] may be on to something. Here he’s using nichrome wire to reinforce the broken plastic part. The repair process is demonstrated in full in the video after the break.

We’ve seen several methods of repairing plastic gears. After all, a gear is usually the same all the way around, so it is very tempting to duplicate a good part to replace a damaged part.

Researchers said they have found a way to create “self-repairing plastics” that can be used in smartphones, cars and other products and reduce the amount of waste now fouling the planet.