Perhaps someone here will know the answer to your question, but I think that you might get a quicker response over at the plant propagation forum.

Here is a link that might be useful: Plant Propagation forum

Japanese Maples are generally grown by seed, then a scion grafted on a two year old root stock for the cultivular.
If you get a cutting to strike roots, it usually does not live though a season that is why they are grafted.

wanting to take cuttings from a friends japanese maple., how do i go about doing that