[mutionu]

I am quite new to CNC machining and looking some advice on 2nd operation fixturing.
How is something like this usually fixtured?
Is there a book or another resource of information that would guide me in the right direction for workholding solutions?
Attachment 348090

[Jim Dawson]

There are probably as many ways to fixture that part as there are machinists You normally just make it up as you go and you get better at it as you gain experience.. I'm not aware of any books on fixturing. You approach things differently depending on the number of parts required. If this is a one-off, then you don't want to spend much money on a fixture, on the other hand, if you are making 1000 of them, then you can spend some money on a fixture.

For that part I might make a set of soft jaws for a vice, and pocket a mirror image of the part.after the first operation. For short runs <10 parts or so, I might use MDF as a fixture, but not with a water based coolant, it's fine with an oil based coolant. I would also do the large hole in the second operation, this would allow using that area as a bolt hole to tie the part down then it could be finished as the last operation, with clamps on the finished areas. I can't tell from the drawing if the small holes are perpendicular, but they would be a good place to align from if they are.

When machining a complex part, order of operation is important. Machine the entire part in you head before you ever step up to the machine.