LOL!! Pruning is never a requirement unless there are obvious structural deficiencies that need to be overcome. And if that's the case, ignoring them for 4 years may be too late to produce good results going forward.

Without a photo of the tree in question to give you more specific advice, you should just observe the 3D's - removal of dead, diseased or damaged wood and any conflicting/crossing branches if they exist. When in doubt, I'd err on the side of very light pruning.....I've grown a good number of JM's, most of which have received minimal pruning throughout their lifetime other than the very early removal of any substandard branching. In general, they just do not require a great deal of pruning.

Japanese maples tend to have their sap flowing quite early in the season - like now - and will bleed heavily if pruned when this is happening. It tends not to be a big deal for the tree but can freak out gardeners who are not used to it. A better time to prune JM's is in summer, when you can look up into the canopy to see where thinning should take place and dead wood is extremely obvious.

Gardengal,
Forgive me please. I wasn't intentionally ignoring your reply. I forgot I posted it. I have too many questions on the forum I guess. As always, I appreciate your expertise and helpful advice. Well, I haven't touched my JM so I'll just continue to leave it alone. It looks fine and growing beautifully. Just a quick question? Should the branches on the top of the tree be shorter or longer than the branches on the bottom or does that even matter. I noticed my tree has these little things on the ends of the branches that remind me of little helicopters when they spin around in the breeze. Are these seeds? Thanks again for your reply.

Should the branches on the top of the tree be shorter or longer than the branches on the bottom or does that even matter.

Doesn't matter unless you don't like the look.

I noticed my tree has these little things on the ends of the branches that remind me of little helicopters when they spin around in the breeze. Are these seeds?

Yep. But they may not produce anything that looks like the momma maple. Fun to grow on into little trees, however, if you have the room and/or patience :-)

I thought I better get back to your right away in case you don't talk to me anymore. lol

Gardengal, it doesn't bother me at all, I just wasn't sure what a full grown Burgundy Lace Maple was suppose to look like. Okay,as for the seeds, nope no patience and not room. Thanks again Gardengal.

Here's how I pruned one of my Weeping Japanese Maples. It's not planted in the most ideal location, being under a Noble Fir and a large Hinoki. I have pruned it up gradually from the inside and below to show the trunks. The trunks support the eventual canopy. Any limb not being a good support, or will not be a good support in the future, is eliminated as soon as I realize it. I am careful not to suddenly expose too much trunk on the south side due to possible sunscald. One of the main attractions of a Weeping Japanese Maple is the curving trunks. If ya got good legs, show em! No sense in covering them up right down to the ankles.
Mike
Looking north in late Spring
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Looking south in the Fall
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What beautiful shots - that last one with the red/yellow combo especially. Great legs, as you say!

Wow! Mike thanks for showing your pic of this beautiful Maple. It reminds me of a bonsai. I love those curvy legs too. Very nice.

Yeah, that curvy trunk/branch stuff looks amazing! I have a younger laceleaf that looks to be similar to whatever it is you posted there botann. What cultivar is your tree? Also, do you have to do stuff to get the trunk and trees to bend around like that? Or will they just do that on their own? I posted a picture of a tree I'd love to have in the future. If I grew one half as cool as the one in this picture I'd be so freaking happy.

The picture you posted Spacehog looks like the Japanese maple in the Portland, Oregon Japanese Garden.
If you prune from the bottom up and from the inside out you can come up with a tree like you want. Don't think trim, think take off any branch that doesn't support the eventual canopy right where it begins. No stubs and no tip pruning, and absolutely no shearing! The affect you're trying, is to make an umbrella as thin as you can without exposing too many branches, or the trunk, to the sun. If a branch touches the ground, go back to where it begins and remove it. It's too wide anyway and has nothing to do with the eventual canopy. The outside growth will always supercede the inside growth, so get rid of the inside growth as soon as possible once the maple is established. The bent branches will be the end result.
Hope this helps.
Mike