Pickup about 1/2 the steel today.
4"x6"x3/16" tubing, 4"x3"x3/16" tubing , 2 1/2" x 2/12" x 1/4" tubing , 3" x 3" x 1/4" angle, 1" x 1" x 1/4" angle.
That and the rest I got was right at 8,000 lbs of steel.

That sounds like the right steel to start with. Make it stout as you go and never be sorry! A little extra iron is good investment . Mills take a lot of strain, and need to be strong.
sounds like you might be starting to cut and weld soon! Take pix. as you go! thanks; sonny

Is there a plan out line?

Have the base/log frame welded up and have been working on the head the last week or so.
The main beam for the head is a 6x6x5/8x103" long.
The shafts and bearings cost just under $2000 and the wheels/etc. will be another $2000.
The rush job at this time is getting 4 apple cannons ready by next weekend, finishing 2 bale sweeps and a short bed livestock carrier.

Sounds like you've been busy.

The materials will be expensive! ----Do you have any particular blade in mind? ---- My little one only has a 1-3/4" wide one on it, and I can see a much wider one would be better.
Given the wide cut plans you are going for the wider the blade, the better. Just my observation from what I see with my little jobber.
Keep up on it and if you get a chance get some pix. as you go.

Going to put a 2" blade on this one.
This type of mill is not about speed or bf. It's all about that 1-2 boards from the log, that will make a $5000-$10000 table.
This is the largest bandmill I have built, but over the years, I have built 10+ smaller ones.
I have also built close to 75 small log scrag saws. Most were setup to run off tractor pto.

I guess the hot thing now is wide boards, but I always found them to warp too bad, so I just do narrow ones and make glue-ups to get width.

The boards will be dried very slow for 10-12 months.

Been welding the head together the last few days.

That looks like its going to be a real beast! ---keep up the good work!

chma - What are you going to use for wheels - Also the blade tensioner?

The wheels will be 26" steel.
Shafts, bearings, wheels, guides and some other parts are from Cook.
The blade tensioner will be a 1 1/4" thread rod.
I have got behind on building it, have went back to just working by myself.

Good size on the wheels, I used 24" on mine, 1 1/4 blades are long sharpened away before fatigue takes them out. I haven't had a blade break in a long time. Your tensioner though, I think you should research more. I used a bolt & nut, kind of the same as your threaded rod. Problem is, there's no give, or take anywhere. As the blade heats up, it'll slack some, it just can't help it, all that length of steel. I went to a large die spring, I can't remember what size or how many pounds to compress it, but its a lot. Like I said, have not broken a blade in years. If I can find a pic of i'll post it.

Attached a pic of the tensioner, I can get a closeup sometime later. The thick yellow spring gets almost collapsed to give me good flat cuts.

I think my Timber-Tuff has some sort of spring in it too! ---That would be a must to help control the tension I would think. Lookin good guys!