The one bought from a nursery last summer has leaves about 4-5 cm long. My so called master has a specimen with 3 cm long leaves. So to have a good looking tre out of it is not beyond hope
1 inch leaves, that is small, are you sure it is a turkey oak? I have seen an English oak, which has a similar leaf, used for bonsai. The leaves reduce quite small, but still bigger than an inch.
Cool, well give it a whirl and make sure to post pictures of your progress. I don't have a clue as to how they layer, I haven't seen it done anywhere either. In my limited experience, I have found that younger trees, in general, are more receptive to ground layering. Trees with tough bark are harder to do and respond less, but as I mentioned, my experience is limited. Maybe your master could help? I would be interested in the results.