Where are you located? Generally. Shimpaku don't grow like weeds, but they can be made to grow well.

trunk is the soul of bonsai,  for shimpaku, you will need curve first.  bend and twist then let it grow.  use 2 aluminum wire.  it will give you more support.  aluminum wire will allow you to do more bend when training.  for styling and refining, use anneal copper wire.
root is the most important organ for bonsai,  without strong, healthy root,  your bonsai will not grow.  tree will get weak and die without good root.
leaves or foliage will produce food and keep the tree strong.  when you want thick trunk do not pinch or prune.  feed and let grow.
when you have refined tree then learn how and when to pinch. clean old needles, and cut back.
have fun growing bonsai.

the best is to start from 1-2 year old  rooted cuttings then wire and twist them in late winter.  then grow in clay pot or in the ground.

do not try to fix bad tree. you will waste more time.  it can be a pretty tree with bad trunk.  does it consider 'pretty bad' lol

Hi GB. Why not take cuttings / air layering of the whip and do this? :

http://bonsainut.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-4767.html

If you are growing your own material you need to make sure that you keep & gross grow ALL the low branches as close to soil level as you can... so bend and create lots of movement in the main trunk and leave another main branch close to soil level that will help to thicken your main trunk and DO NOT PRUNE IT. More leaf volume = greater thickening. This means that you get a big base then remove or jin the sacrifice branch down low... just make sure it doesn't shade your main trunk.

I did this a few years ago and just left the sacrifice branch ... now i wire / bend that the sacrifice and air layer it rather than just prune it away once it has done it's job.

With the smaller trees what are we talking time wise?

Here's a great example of what Boon is talking about.  This tree was grown in the U.S. and is owned by a forum member John Kirby.  The tree was wired as a young whip and planted in the ground for around 14 yrs before being dug(if my memory is correct).  Of course you could grow something for say 5-10 years a still have a decent tree, just not as thick of a trunk.  Also, the variety of juniper you grow will affect the growth rate as well as fertilization, amount of sun light, and soil type.   

http://bonsaistudygroup.com/shimpaku-juniper-discussion/jim-gremel's-shimpaku/

In Taiwan there was a grower who grew very large junipers using a similar method of wiring crazy movement into trunks and letting them grow out for a long time making very large trees-I heard somewhere around 40-50 years.  But that could not be true.  I also heard he made tons of money off these trees.  Here's a link to a great artist in Taiwan who has worked on and refined these trees. 

http://www.sidiao.com/index_e.htm

Is this something that can be learned or are some people just not able to do bonsai? I can't see the finished product. I can't imagine it. I have done this for a year and still can't see anything when I look at a tree. This bugs the crap out of me.

Yes, you can learn this.  Some faster some slower. You need to find a good source of info.
You need to grow the trunk that has curve, twist and taper. For now just put curve and twist. Find a few trees you like and then copy the curve and twist on the trunk. Then let them grow. Post the picture next year then we can discuss about it

GBHunter
I am new to Bonsai also and I know what you are talking about. It seems to me that there is a hole in the information for beginners. There is tons of information about reshaping or maintenance type work on Bonsai, If I need to find out about ramification or nebari or something like that there is plenty of information. The problem is where do you start, a little plant they sell at the drug store, that's no good. You can get a gallon pot at Home Depot wire the trunk try to pick your primary and secondary branches on around and work your way up. Wire the branches to get some shape, round the top and point the branches down to make it appear  older. If you get all that correct then you are still probably 10 years away from a good Bonsai. I am almost 60 years old I could be dead before that. If you start with a 5 gallon pot the the lowest branches are usually to high. I can't afford to pay $500 dollars to get something from a Bonsai nursery. I can't afford to pay thousands of dollars to learn from the greats like Boon or Ryan Neil or move to Japan. Bonsai is not a cheap hobby so it's hard to do on a budget. Maybe somewhere you can find an article that will take you from beginning to pre bonsai, I haven't found a good one yet. That is why I am trying to learn air layering, then I can start with a good size trunk. I am fortunate enough to have a large supply of plants in my yard to dig or air layer. If you don't have that option maybe your family or friends would let you do some experiments in there garden. I know that Bonsai is a slow Methodical  art  that requires a lot of patience. However it is a little embarrassing to show some one your little pathetic plant and ask what you need to do next. You just  hope they understand and remember what it was like for them when they were just starting out. I am thankful for this forum and these kind and understanding people that have been willing to help me along so far. We just love plants and love the thought of being able to manipulate a tree into a beautiful Bonsai.