dw9000,
Thank you for your information. I just want to clarify. You used this skimmer above ground, but built a concrete "house" around it?
Brook
Well the top 'lid' of the skimmer is even with my pool deck. They make an extension neck for that skimmer, I bought so I had a little more room when they poured the concrete deck. In hind site I really didn't need too.
The top 'of the throat' of the skimmer (that rectangular opening to the pool) was even with the top side of the top layer of block. I wrapped it in seal seal foam, for a tight fit.
I ran 2x6 around the entire top layer of block and that went right above the skimmer throat and it kept it in place very tightly. I suppose you could run your copping right over it and achieve something similarily if you weren't using 2x6, and when you finish the deck you could backfill with concrete/mortar from behind the top of the skimmer...
I just remembered, I also anchored the skimmer into the concrete wall with some tapcons.
I did sort of like what duraleigh did in his skimmer pictures, I built a plywood structure on the outside of the pool wall and encrusted the entire skimmer (except the top 5" where the pool deck concrete would meet) in concrete,, took a couple 80lb bags. The structure wasn't anything fancy, I did it while I was backfilling with stone. I put 3 pieces of plywood up, and backfilled to keep it in place, then I poured in mixed concrete. I didn't backfill anymore that I had to, just to keep the plywood upright,, and when it dried I peeled the plywood out, and continued backfilling
Pic before deck (after backfill, skimmer's in place, and coping up)
https://s32.postimg.org/z61ldt3n9/100_0159.jpg
Pic after deck
https://s31.postimg.org/6cwa68mcr/IMG_1411.jpg
You can buy this skimmer, if you google it, for $70 or so. You could take a couple of your extra blocks (on the side) and see how it would fit, I think it would work for you.