A temporary part is mounted onto the chuck of the diamond turning machine. A diamond turning tip of the diamond turning machine is used to form a reference surface on the temporary part, registering a baseline for a motion control system of the diamond turning machine. While the temporary part remains mounted to the diamond turning machine, a workpiece is mounted onto the temporary part, and the diamond tip is controlled relative to the reference surface to diamond turn a surface profile on the workpiece. Because the baseline established by the reference surface compensates for positional variations from mounting parts directly onto the chuck of the diamond turning machine, the length of the workpiece can be shaped to a designated length with a high degree of accuracy.

A holesaw arbor assembly includes an arbor body, at least one drive pin, a base support plate, a support surface, and a resilient member. The arbor body extends along an axis and has a threaded portion configured to engage a corresponding threaded portion of a holesaw. The drive pin is supported by the arbor body and is configured to engage an aperture in the base of the holesaw. The base support plate is disposed relative to the arbor body and is movable axially to support the base of the holesaw. The support surface is fixed relative to the arbor body and non-movable axially. The resilient member is positioned between the support surface and the base support plate, biasing the base support plate axially toward the base of the holesaw. This arrangement provides compliance as the holesaw is threaded onto the arbor, enabling alignment of the apertures with the drive pin and allowing the holesaw base to seat firmly against the base support plate in a manner that limits excessive tightening and reduces the potential for gaps.