Needle Juniper - Cascade in training

[CodeMonkey]

I've started this thread to track progress of this needle juniper I decided to start off towards a cascade style.
I bought it as a seedling about 3 years ago and all I've done since is wire the main "trunk" down. the branches have only just started to thicken this year so I was wondering if now is a reasonable time to begin some selection or should I leave it another couple of years?

I've also only just wired up a branch for the upper part of the tree.
As you know, these things are vicious when wiring! Any suggestions to lessen the pain?

Apologies for the terrible photo. It's dark out and I have just ordered a screen to use as a background to step up my photography a notch. I wanted to at least include something while I get round to taking some better images.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

(1) No pain (with J. rigida) no gain Probably the one sign that you have a true needle juniper is whether it leaves spines in your skin while styling
(2) In general, I like your styling idea. However, for a cascade make sure you make your cascading branch your "champion". In other words, that branch gets the sun. Don't wire the tip of the cascading branch anywhere that it doesn't get the most attention. In nature, the tip of the cascade is the tree trying to project new growth where it gets most sun, most protection from wind, etc. In your design the tip of the descending branch is tucked back in shade and is lost. No bueno. If that happened in nature the branch would die back and project growth elsewhere.

Also... not sure you have seen this video Revealing my background in the gaming industry... and today when I was walking around in Asheville as a tourist several people commented on my Blizzcon t-shirt, LOL!

 

[CodeMonkey]

Hey BNut, thanks for the reply.
I see what you mean regarding the cascading branch. I'm not sure it's as bad as it looks in my rubbish photo, but maybe I've missed something. I'll get some more images up shortly.

It certainly does leave spines in the skin! Ouch!

And wow (pun intended) that's a blast from the past! Sadly I do still relate to codemonkey in some ways

 

[CodeMonkey]

Finally got round to taking some better photos.

What do you think? Should I be thinking about thinning it out next spring?

 

[Mike Corazzi]

Heck no. Looks like a ghillie suit.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Finally got round to taking some better photos.

What do you think? Should I be thinking about thinning it out next spring?

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Thinning out? Nah. But trying to shorten them is a good practice.

Looks like a communis juniper. Those can be pretty delicate when it comes to trimming in the sense that they can respond in different fashions to it. Sometimes they back bud, sometimes they stand still for a year.
Since communis hardly ever grows new shoots on old wood (unless really forced to!) it might be handy to keep things short for a while.