All,

I have a friend who is seeking my help in hanging his 6x6 shoulder mount on his fireplace this weekend. While not dry fit, the mortar is pretty recessed. Thoughts on how to do this without major work? I'm thinking some sort of molly that I don't have.

Rock climbing anchor?

http://www.safeclimbing.org/education/mechbolts.htm

Yep. A couple of old, rusty pitons and some rusted barbed wire would add a vintage look to the arrangement.

KC

That's a helluva fireplace!

I would use an epoxy Hilti.

Redhead C6 is the two part epoxy the millwrights I hire use for anchoring about everything. Hammer drill a slightly oversized hole, half filll with C6, insert piece of all thread. In 5 minutes it won't pull out unless you break the rocks around it. Hilti makes the same stuff under their name. The problem is having the right applicator gun and $40 mix for a one time job.

Is it a real fireplace or zero clearance?

Epoxy it is! He's acquired something and will get in place tomorrow so it has time to cure before Saturday. It is a heck of a fireplace, 2 stories in the center of a cathedral ceiling. Two of the other walls have Africa trophies.

I would imagine the entire wall is just a facade. You'll still need to determine what the substrata is composed of & go from there.

I got to thinking of that after I laid down in bed last night. Very valid point.

Whatever he uses he need to consider the look if the elk was removed to sell house.

Concur and it was discussed. The epoxy he got has dye to match the rocks (which are a facade) so hopefully it's non-obtrusive. Like us, they're not a long ways from leaving this state and his wife is an architect so she's very cognizant of such issues. Overly so at times.