The invention discloses a machining device and method for a conical thin wall shell body. The machining device comprises a chuck, three soft claws and a positioning tail cone, wherein the three soft claws are distributed in an equilateral triangle mode and installed on the chuck; and the front end shape of the positioning tail cone is matched with the shape of a conical groove, and the rear end of the positioning tail cone is provided with a centre hole. According to the machining device and method for the conical thin wall shell body, a clamping method that the soft claws with elastic claw parts are matched with the positioning tail cone, the positioning tail cone supports the tails of the soft claws, a center abuts against the positioning tail cone and enables the positioning tail cone to unfold the soft claws so that the soft claws can support the inner wall of a component is adopted, and the inner wall of the component and the inner side surface of the large end of the component are positioned. The soft claws support the inner wall, a lathe automatic centering effect and positioning of the positioning tail cone are combined, and the effect that the gyration center of the component and a lath spindle are concentric after clamping is ensured, so that quick clamping in the component machining process can be achieved, the gyration center of the component is automatically centered, and precise positioning is conducted; and the efficiency is high, clamping deformation is small, the machining dimensional precision of the component is high, the wall thickness is uniform, and the component dimensional precision requirements can be met more easily.