Supporting beam at Gable end

[Worcesterman]

Hi
I am putting a beam in my loft. I need to creat a recess for one end of the beam in the gable end wall. 1930s house. Bond is just two layers of bricks with headers every few rows. Outside is rendered. Bricks have lime mortar between them so I can remove some easily enough. Unluckily there is a row of headers at the level where the beam will go. So I need to remove half a brick here. I was thinking to drill a load of holes and chip it with a chisel but there must be an easier way.
Any advice is very much appreciated.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Could you not use a large angle grinder and a diamond masonry (mortar raking?) disc to do the heavy cuts first? Doing it that way puts less vibration into the wall (better for the render) and makes it fairly easy to break out the bricks if the mortar is raked first.

 

[Worcesterman]

Getting the mortar out isn’t too hard as it is fairly soft lime mortar. Its getting half a stretcher brick out which I am struggling with.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

9in angle grinder will do the job.