Hello,
I’ve had this field maple for a few years and struggled with what to do with the lower right branch. As you can see it’s at an awkward angle, and I would like to make adjustments.
Would it be better to attempt to bend it, or should I be more bold and attempt a wedge cut between the trunk and the branch to lower it into a better position? I’ve never performed either one.
Any and all suggestions are welcome.
Thanks!
I don’t believe you can wedge cut a maple do to the way its vascular system works. Much different than a pine.
Thanks, I appreciate the feedback.
I’ve always wanted to try raffia 
I don’t think you’ll be able to get what you are looking for out of that branch. The shoulder is thick and at this point immobile.
You might consider working with what you have and try for an up and out kind of movement, which for deciduous is a little more natural.
I have wedge cut a thick root on a trident maple to help improve the nebari with great success. If the branch is not what you want you might give a wedge cut a try. If it fails you are only loosing a branch that you are not happy with.
Or, have you considered chopping back to that branch or the one in the back to create a new , more interesting trunk line?
Post a pic of the entire tree so we can see what you are working with and make more informed suggestions.
Ryan
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Thanks for the feedback Ryan!
All good suggestions.
I was hoping to either wedge cut or attempt to bend into a desirable position. Do you think I apply raffia and bend forward?
I would cut it off 
It actually looks like a bar branch in your photos and if so one of the two should be removed. The branch in question has some wire scarring which won’t go away so if pictures are accurate I would remove branch also and push apex to the left but. Im no expert
Welcome to the forum! Thats a pretty abused ugly limb…
I agree with MrBakerBonsai…
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However, I also think it MIGHT be possible to use a LARGE (4 or 6 with raffia?) guage copper wire, wraped clockwise, and, slowly over several weeks, twist from the showlder out to the elbow clockwise to the back, slightly down below horozintal. Distributed the legnth from the showlder and out to the elbow ownly… just so the lower wrist is pointing up. Extend tha wire (couhterclockwise) to the lower portion, twist back counterclockwise. Wire and re-arrange the fingers flat and to upwards. Note: field maples are very brittle…
Clear as mud?
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However, you still have TWO limbs at this node on the main trunk… AND, three (or four?) limbs on the next trunk node above it. Should bring these down to one(and the main trunk makes two…) Im not a traditionalist, if it looks good…
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Noting the trunk inter-node legnths, also, might be tempted to airlayer the top 1/2 of the tree off… and re-arrange a tree from the second node up. Maybe an approach graft or two in between the lower trunk nodes…?
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Just saying…
I have way too much time on my hands, and way tooo many trees… 
And, some real ugly field maples.
Welcome to the club! 
Bonsai On!
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Thanks KurtP for the insight and detail instructions .
I will take your advice and try the bend with raffia. It will be the first time using raffia:crossed_fingers:t3:, and believe me I understand how brittle this maple is 
.
Also, as pointed out from other recent feedback, what do I have to lose, if I break the branch, then it was probably meant to be.
Thanks all for the inputs, it nice to be part of this community!
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Try to NOT twist on the shoulder. Thats what will rip first (The elbow, too!). Hold the wire at the shoulder and twist from the eldow end…
Wiggle clockwise and slightly down. Go slow and deliberate.
The limb will already have a set-- from the previous wireing…
.
!
Thanks, will do!
I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Thanks again!