When you are into stationary power tools you are well past "minimal equipment".

I would look not only at scale making but also at other projects you might do.

I like the drum sander idea they appear to have more general utility than the belt sander would.

If you are going to be doing things that require resawing lumber, like furniture making or turning then a band saw is a very very good thing to have.

If like me you do fretwork or cut jigsaw puzzles a well.... jigsaw or scrollsaw is a must. I can also cut scales, in bulk, on it if I want to. but for me that not even its main use.

You would need to fit a fence, but YES a scrollsaw is perfectly capable of cutting 1.5 inch thick wood and pretty quickly too. Just buy a good one. The cheap ones are all but useless, expect to pay upwards of $400 for a good one.

I've got a video of a pro cutting 1" deer out of 1" stock in less than 20 seconds but I can't link to it (the page is in frames).