I was really wracking my brain trying to come up with a design to make this saw stand horizontal, but as you mentioned, counterweights need to be used and I simply didn't want to come up with that much design on my own (too much work). I was trying to use an old chop saw base with the clamp arrangement, but it was really driving me crazy thinking of how to attach the saw. I did purchase an on/off foot pedal for this stand that I forgot to include it in the pics.

I also have some aluminum channel for the table so I can use a miter gauge later on, but I have to wait until I get a welder that I can tig aluminum with. I incorporated a VW aluminum degree pulley into my miter gauge design, but again, no way to weld the aluminum. That's the reason I had to drill and tap the aluminum that I used on this project.

I look forward to seeing your idea in action! I love seeing other creative people building things that nobody else has. It gives me ideas for future projects.