dave, I think the first peice of engineering you may have to deal with would be available horsepower. i run a bandsawmill that has 11 horsepower, and can cut 16". If you are looking to cut into the 6 or 8 inch zone, I would think you'll need more power than a $300 unit could offer. even at 5" in dry material, I'd want a good dose of hp..... the band needs good power to do a good job, otherwise it will slow down and the cut gets inconsistent and ugly.
