Turning Workpieces That Are Too Short for Chuck

I am about to make handles for turning the slow motion handles. I made a couple of these a while back but they were not attractive being sort of a Greek cross made from 1/2" CFC.

My plan was to cut two 1" circles with a .25" hole in the center where the D-shaft. While clearing around the mill, I found a 1" (actually. 951") diameter CFC piece that fell out when cutting a 1.25" hole. Perhaps, I could reuse this piece? 

So I mounted it in the lathe and drilled a .25" hole through the center. 

But there was some crud on one end that needed turning off.  But the jaws were not deep enough to hold a 1/2" thick workpiece with the end exposed.  So I dug through my screws and scraps and made this up.

The white acetal locks in the jaws.  A 1/4-20 screw passed through it, locked by a nut, and then the workpiece, locked in place by another nut. Now the workpiece was entirely outside the jaws where I could turn the exterior.