An assembly arranged to retain a workpiece on a linear friction welding machine, the assembly characterized by: a socket defining a tapered cylindrical opening that has a first end, an opposed end, opposite the first end, and a taper angle; and a tapered cylindrical collet having a body that has a first end, having a diameter, and an opposed end, opposite the first end and having a diameter, wherein: the body has a shape that matches the shape of the tapered cylindrical opening and has a taper angle that is substantially the same as the taper angle of the tapered cylindrical opening, the diameter of the first end of the body is substantially the same as the diameter of the first end of the tapered cylindrical opening, the diameter of the opposed end of the body is substantially the same as the diameter of the opposed end of the tapered cylindrical opening, the first end of the body and first end of the tapered cylindrical opening are larger in diameter than the opposed end of the body and the opposed end of the tapered cylindrical opening, the tapered cylindrical collet comprises a plurality of jaws proximate the first end of the body, wherein the plurality of jaws is configured to retain the workpiece, and the tapered cylindrical collet is adapted to engage the tapered cylindrical opening, defined by the socket, so as to permit controlled, continuous clocking of the workpiece, retained by the tapered cylindrical collet, relative to the socket and also to secure the tapered cylindrical collet in position relative to the socket when a biasing force is exerted by a weld head during friction welding operations to urge the tapered cylindrical collet and the socket together. a socket defining a tapered cylindrical opening that has a first end, an opposed end, opposite the first end, and a taper angle; and a tapered cylindrical collet having a body that has a first end, having a diameter, and an opposed end, opposite the first end and having a diameter, wherein: the body has a shape that matches the shape of the tapered cylindrical opening and has a taper angle that is substantially the same as the taper angle of the tapered cylindrical opening, the diameter of the first end of the body is substantially the same as the diameter of the first end of the tapered cylindrical opening, the diameter of the opposed end of the body is substantially the same as the diameter of the opposed end of the tapered cylindrical opening, the first end of the body and first end of the tapered cylindrical opening are larger in diameter than the opposed end of the body and the opposed end of the tapered cylindrical opening, the tapered cylindrical collet comprises a plurality of jaws proximate the first end of the body, wherein the plurality of jaws is configured to retain the workpiece, and the tapered cylindrical collet is adapted to engage the tapered cylindrical opening, defined by the socket, so as to permit controlled, continuous clocking of the workpiece, retained by the tapered cylindrical collet, relative to the socket and also to secure the tapered cylindrical collet in position relative to the socket when a biasing force is exerted by a weld head during friction welding operations to urge the tapered cylindrical collet and the socket together. the body has a shape that matches the shape of the tapered cylindrical opening and has a taper angle that is substantially the same as the taper angle of the tapered cylindrical opening, the diameter of the first end of the body is substantially the same as the diameter of the first end of the tapered cylindrical opening, the diameter of the opposed end of the body is substantially the same as the diameter of the opposed end of the tapered cylindrical opening, the first end of the body and first end of the tapered cylindrical opening are larger in diameter than the opposed end of the body and the opposed end of the tapered cylindrical opening, the tapered cylindrical collet comprises a plurality of jaws proximate the first end of the body, wherein the plurality of jaws is configured to retain the workpiece, and the tapered cylindrical collet is adapted to engage the tapered cylindrical opening, defined by the socket, so as to permit controlled, continuous clocking of the workpiece, retained by the tapered cylindrical collet, relative to the socket and also to secure the tapered cylindrical collet in position relative to the socket when a biasing force is exerted by a weld head during friction welding operations to urge the tapered cylindrical collet and the socket together.