Is anyone a mason?

[Hobie]

The craft, not the organization. And, I might add, a highly skilled craft for which I now have the utmost respect and admiration.

I tried to counter-flash a leaking chimney yesterday, chiseling out a line of mortar and embedding the flashing in it. What a mess I made of the job! The mortar didn't want to stay in the slot with the flashing. It does not appear to stick to the metal. Every time I touched the flashing, the mortar joint would crack. Argh! The people that know how to do this must have a better way.

I finally got it all wedged in there with minimal cracks and stopped messing with it, but I have no idea if anything will hold once it cures. Perhaps the "mortar in a tube" would be a better idea than actual sand + cement mortar?

[Barry]

I'm not a mason by trade, but I've done enough flashing jobs on brick to understand what you're dealing with. Once you get the mortar joint cut/chiseled out and your counter flashing bent to fit and placed into the joint, take bits/chunks of lead and drive them into the joint every so often to hold the flashing in place. Bits of wood can also be used, but lead works really well.