Flamegrower said:give a bricker hammer and 4" brick chisel a try...you will be surprised how easily AND precisely it will cut those bricks......and if any of them do show, they will look more natural than a cutting tool will afford.....trust me I do a lot of natural stone masonry/veneer and with just a little practice you will be cuttin those bricks with a chisel and hammer like a pro....if you have access to some spare bricks you can practice outside on them...to get a feel for how to cut them...usually a couple of medium hits on each cut will do the trick.....keep us posted on how you make out!
thanks for this - yes many was to skin the cat here. I can actually practice on the top bricks as these will be 100% convered. It is the side bricks that might/might now be revealed. I will let everyone know how it goes (but again, Wed is the big day to see if I have the necessary clearances). I will be in mourning if I can't get the insert.