I recently posted the leaflet for Ripley’s Wax Zone and in the write-up I mentioned that I thought the first attraction in the area to offer wax hands was Movieland Wax Museum of Stars. Recently one of my sisters wanted to get a hand done, so I went with her and took some pictures of the process. Below are just thumbnails of the pictures. You can see larger images in the Wax Hand Emporium gallery of the Niagara Falls Image Gallery.
The first thing they do is put your hand in ice water. I’m not sure exactly what this does other than “shrinks” your hand slightly. Maybe this gives it better shape? Or maybe it stops the wax from sticking to your hand? I don’t know.
Before you put your hand in the wax, they put on a lot of lotion. This is obviously so they can easily get the wax hand off your hand once it has hardened.
You put your hand in the position you would like it (my sister did the A-OK sign) and you need to hold it in place while they dip your hand.
The dip your hand a few times (I think it was 3 times, but I can’t remember).
Along with the larger vat of clear/white wax, they also have several other colours to choose from. My sister chose to also dip her hand in green. Adding a colour costs more.
They dipped her hand a few more times in the green coloured wax.
They use a dull knife and cut the edge off the wax around your wrist.
This is her completed hand (still on her of course).
It was surprisingly easy to get her hand out of the wax. They then dip the wax hand in the ice water to make sure it is fully hardened.
They then create a firmer edge to the wrist opening by putting a bit of wax on the warm table and sliding the hand around.
My sister chose to have her hand filled with dry wax. This costs more, but makes the hand solid, so I guess it will last longer.
Lastly they smooth over some of the wax over the wrist opening to give it a finished look.My sister also got her hand glazed, which adds another layer of protection. Obviously adds even more cost to the hand. This takes a while, so you leave the hand with them and go back in a few hours to pick up.
At the time of this posting, a single, hollow hand is $9.99 while a single, solid hand is $14.99. A double, hollow hand is $17.99 while a double, solid hand is $23.99. Additional colours are $1.99 each and glazing is $6.99 per hand. There are also a variety of accessories that can be added to the hands for various prices.
The Wax Hand Emporium costs more than Ripley’s Wax Zone, but as I mentioned, they are the original in the area. My sister is certainly happy with her hand and it seems like it is excellent quality.
My sister had a lot of fun getting the hand made. She said the wax feels very cool on your hands, and she was very excited to pick the hand up after the glazing. I really have no need for a wax hand, but I’d love to get one done just so I can say I’ve had one done. 🙂