Originally Posted by
mountaindave
Reviving an old thread.
What about taking a sacrificial set of pedals (who doesn't have a few mismatched pedals hanging around?) and cutting in channels perpendicular to the threads to mimic a tap? I guess a guy could even put the axle in a lathe and gently taper the end to ease the start.
While you can make a quick and dirty tap this way, for something like this IMO it is important to have some extra length to keep the alignment straight all the way through. Why take a chance on a crooked pedal? Plus it's a highly stressed interface. It might be fine to retap a kids bike or something, but I would splurge on the real tool if retapping a high quality crank like an old TA or Stronglight.
FWIW I like the Hozan taps because they have an extension piece to make sure they cut straight. They are still available and cost ~ $30.