So if I go to the nursery, all the apple trees they have are drarf or semi-dwarf.  The fruiting wood you want, grafted to a dwarfing rootstock.  We have a property that's just begging for a few standard apple trees in the front yard.  Can I take cuttings from the dwarf tree in our yard and would they become standard once they rooted and grew a bit?  Should I cut fruiting wood or suckers for the best result?

I'd like to do something similar with some old cider apple trees in my parents' yard.  Previous (19th century) owners of their house were the village cider makers.

Any knowledge you can share would be great.

Your science seems correct, but I would just buy the trees from an online seller.  They are established better that way.

 

Don't get pot grown trees, get ones grown in the ground-they'll come with bare roots. Find a reputable nursery online.