Jan's curved reflector "Fig.6" Karlson coupler loudspeaker cabinet

[erikwood]

There may be some clever folks out there who can come up with a clever and simple jig for a power tool which allows it to cut out a number of different curves with a few simple adjustments. Taking the tractrix for instance: Consider that the Tractrix is the curve the second wheel of a bicycle follows when traveling in a straight line and making a 90 degree turn with the front wheel. Does this inspire anyone's woodworking ingenuity?

[erikwood]

Unfortunately, there are so many different types of curve to test in a Karlson. And cutting them out in plywood or MDF with any accuracy makes for one heck of a difficult project. At one time, I thought that using an ellipse jig for a router would make a fair rough approximation of different rates of flare if you just adjusted the x and y axes. It didn't work. They were still all ellipses. Duh for not realizing that, I guess...