Lots of great info here and things to think about. Thank you one and all.
Based on all of your feedback, I am going to hold out for either a Lee
Valley skew or a 778, set up like Don suggests (with a wooden addition to
the fence and leather pad on the depth stop).

Wow, I thought it might be dangerous to join this list because I thought it
would encourage me to buy lots of tools that I don't really need. But
you've all talked me out of buying one today (well, delaying the purchase,
I guess).