Nick,
I read your post again, and this time it stood out to me that you want it for ripping stock. In the back of my shop I have my dad's old Ryobi BS50N. I have stored it for 15 years, since he died, but I have no use for it.
This is not like today's Ryobi tools. It is actually a small resaw machine, with a 2" wide stellite blade on it. In the 80's it cost Dad over $1500. It has a Resaw capacity of about 6", and throat of about 9". The weird thing about it is that the motor looks like it belongs on a SkilSaw, and it is original to the machine.
Both Ryobi and Hitachi made these machines in 6" and the larger 12" resaw capacity. Somewhere on this site is a great thread by a Canadian gent who renovated the large Hitachi, removed the universal motor, and put a big induction motor on it. Sorry, his name escapes me.
My machine was used by my dad to rip 2x4's into strips which he made into little orange crates to sell at craft shows. Not very much use since new. It is a bench model, on a 2x4 stand.
I am about 40 miles from you, if you would like to look at it.
Rick Potter
DIY journeyman,
FWW wannabe.
AKA Village Idiot.