Finishing corner hearth....
Here is the metal mesh/lathe that will help hold the mortar & stone to the wood frame. You can see I left a couple inches clearance around the vent pipe. The mesh overhangs the edge & the stone should butt up nicely around the edge for a clean finish. Next is the scratch coat of mortar (I think that's the term anyways)....the mesh holds in in place, and once it's cured the stone will have a good layer to adhere to. Here is the base, big 18" stones for the bottom & 1 thin layer of stone along the bottom/front. Here is a few rows of stone I finished today after work. It's a bit difficult to get the corners to fit against the logs, but a diamond grinder wheel helps the process. Few more rows up....getting closer. It would go alot quicker if I didn't have to cut each corner so it matches up to the logs. All the stone is done. Just have to finish the mantle on the top.