Finally able to post some progress, at least on the fixturing.
I needed an easy and efficient way of trimming up the bottom edges of the curved piece. At first I was trying to come up with a clever jig to do the job. I soon realized I was making such a simple task way too complicated. The table saw sled would do just fine. I bought a new table saw recently and had wanted to make one for it anyway. They are extremely helpful and can make several tasks much safer.
One of the biggest challenges when using a CNC is holding the the work piece down. Clamps are the most popular choice in the DIY world because they are cheap, but they are usually clumsy and time consuming to setup. It can also be challenging when two sided machining is necessary. Indexing the part from one side to the other is much easier with a dedicated vacuum fixture. Once the front machining operations are complete, the part will be released and flipped over. With the X and Y reference stops in place, the vacuum pedal is pushed and its ready to go.
Channels for the vacuum and foam gasket cut into a 3/4" piece of HDPE.
The gasket installed.
Here is the inlet for the vacuum.
This foot switch allows me to position the part just right before turning the vacuum on.
Here is a short video of everything in action. As the foot switch is activated, the part is drawn down to the fixture, the pump refills the reservoirs and shuts off.