On Tue, 16 Sep 2014 07:48:12 -0400, "Sherlock.Homes"
wrote:

The rest of the mortar around the house is in better
shape, but not much better. I guess I should start a new thread about
tuckpointing and whether I should/could do it myself or whether it's best to
hire it out. Dziekuje bardzo for your thoughts, Vic.

Dla nics. You can use vertical joints. Haven't found them less
sturdy than horizontals on my 2 brick houses.
Wood isn't ugly if you do it right. I use tapcons for concrete, and
plugs for mortar. Tapcons should work.
I had the works, ladder jacks, tools and mortar color when I started
tuckpointing my 2-flat. Did about 1/4 of one rough bricked side wall,
and found it so mind-numbing I got a crew to do it.
Glad I didn't try the finish brick.
On my current house my son was old enough (15) to pay him to do the 2
rough brick walls. I showed him how to mix the mortar (sand, cement,
lime, no coloring) and he did it, using the containers I provided.
The 2 sides with finish brick were ok, and still are. He did a
thorough if sloppy job, but I told him not to worry about it, just get
the mix right and fill the joints.
Simple pointing tools, with a convex joint.
He was afraid to do the chimney, and I let that go. About 10 years
later a guy scoping chimneys in the neighborhood rang the doorbell,
and offered to do it for $150. It was done that day. He did a fine
job.
It all depends on how neat you want it. You want the face bricks
absolutely neat, but may not care about the appearance of the joints
of the rough brick. I didn't.
You don't have to cut out mortar if the house had bricks laid with a
good mortar. It weathers away. Just remove loose mortar and work
new into the joints.
Except for the face brick, which takes skill, it's very doable.
You could do the finish brick with patience and time.
But boring as all get out.