The present invention provides a lathe chuck having a hollow arbor and a cylindrical turning shaft which slides within the hollow arbor. Such an arrangement accommodates a turning shaft of considerably greater length than would ordinarily be possible. For one embodiment of the invention, the chuck is hand-tightenable, the arbor is an integral part of the chuck assembly, and is equipped with a standard Morse taper. The tapered arbor installs in the end of a lathe output shaft or spindle. The turning shaft is equipped with at least one pair of work-securing collets, at least one threaded end and a nut which engages the threaded end and secures one or more work pieces between the collets and to the turning shaft.