Tree # 3 and the before pic taken recently before any work. This is the only tree out of the four I have inherited that usually has the smallest needles, but for some reason this year they came out a bit bigger than I was hoping for.
After the work today the tree still looks good even though there is no taper on the trunk. As you'll see below, I have no idea how I got this tree out of what I had to work with.
But as it goes with bonsai, time will usually prove to be a friend of yours if you are patient enough. I could now see a bit of a future for this tree.