How to Make a Gi / Martial Arts Uniform Hanger

I created my own Gi hanger after searching the internet and finding literally nothing that met my needs in helping dry my Gi. I only needed something for the top since most bottoms now are ripstop which dries really fast. Gi tops however seem to take forever. I now practice BJJ, but have trained in every other martial art known to man and the hanger can be used for those Gi's too.

The parts came from both Lowe's and Home depot. The hanger from the storage section and the pipe from the plumbing section. I'm sure you could probably find all the parts at either of the stores, but I had some time so purchased the items at different locations. The total cost for the hanger was less than $6.00 for the kids size, and probably $7.00 for the adult one. I made one for my Adult Gi which was made using 4' PVC pipe. The same exact plan, just one pipe longer than the other. I purposely purchased items that would not rust since my Gi would be still moist/wet when placed on the the hanger. The rubber coated hanger and PVC pipe were perfect for this. Hope this helps anyone out there on a budget and looking for a quick fix to drying their Gi.

Parts:

1 - Hanger

2 - PVC end caps 3/4 inch

1 - Child Gi hanger : 2' long X 3/4 inch diameter PVC pipe

Adult Gi hanger: 4' long X 3/4" diameter PVC pipe

Tools:

Drill

Hacksaw (Only needed if you are making a hanger for an Adult Gi)

Duct tape

Time:

approximately 20 mins (if you wash the pvc then add drying time)

Step 1: Tools and Parts

Get your parts ready. You will need a drill and hacksaw. The duct tape is optional.

The hanger was purchased from Lowe's for about $1.18.

The end caps were $.40 each and 3/4" PVC pipe about $1.97(for the 2' pipe) from Home depot. You do not need a hacksaw for the child hanger since the pipe came pre-cut in 2' length from Home depot.

The adult hanger can be made by cutting the standard 10' pipe into 2 pieces. The cost for the 10' piece was about $2.75.

I used a 3/4 diameter PVC pipe since the hanger screw was about 1" long. I wanted the screw to secure to both the top and bottom of the pipe. Making it more secure with weight on it.

Step 2: Prep Your Parts

I removed the stickers from the pvc pipe by taking a blow driver and heating the stickers and then removing them after about 30 seconds. The blow dryer heats up the glue making it very easy to remove. It's an trick I learned from removing stickers from my hockey helmet. I then washed the PVC since it was dusty from sitting inside a warehouse store.

Step 3: End Caps and Measure the Drill Hole

The pipe was 2' for the child's Gi and 4' for the adult. I wear a A2 Gi and the 4' pipe was long enough to extend the sleeves of my Gi straight out. Keep in mind you have to make the pipe long enough to extend the arms, but if you make it too long it might not fit when you try to put it through the sleeves.

Add the end caps on and the middle point was about 11-1/2" for the 2' child hanger. Keep in mind there are manufacturer inked labeling on the pipe so I made the top of the hanger the part with no markings. No glue was necessary since the tolerances for these pipes is pretty low. The caps slid on snugly and securely. If you wanted to you could probably glue to guarantee they don't fall off.

Step 4: Drill

Drilling the hole is straight forward. You will want to drill straight through to the other side. I wanted the screw to anchor to both the top and bottom of the hanger. You are going to need a drill the hole since the pipe is pvc and it is pretty tough. So screwing in the hanger in without the guide hole is not going to work.

Step 5: Assembly and Finish

Take the hanger and screw it into the top of the hole and all the way through to the bottom. Part of the screw may stick through so I used two layers of industrial tape to cover the screw end. You could probably use some plastic or other end cap to cover it, but I felt the tape was enough.

I have included pics of both my adult Gi and my child's Gi. I was amazed how easy it was to do, I think it took longer to find the items than it did to stick them all together!