els ▁and ▁g oug es ▁while ▁they ▁were ▁being ▁sp un ▁( or ▁turned ) ▁between ▁the ▁center ▁points ▁of ▁a ▁lat he . ▁The ▁workers ▁sub cont ract ed ▁to ▁the ▁join ers , ▁or ▁car pent ers , ▁who ▁made ▁such ▁furn iture ▁were ▁term ed ▁" turn ers ", ▁or ▁" b od gers ", ▁hence ▁the ▁surname ▁Turner . ▁Today , ▁turned ▁ch airs ▁— ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁various ▁turned ▁decor ative ▁elements ▁— ▁are ▁still ▁commonly ▁made , ▁but ▁by ▁autom ated ▁mach in ery ▁rather ▁than ▁by ▁hand .) ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁earliest ▁turned ▁ch airs ▁are ▁of ▁uncertain ▁date , ▁but ▁they ▁became ▁common ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century . ▁Before ▁this ▁date ▁there ▁are ▁rare ▁examples ▁that ▁claim ▁to ▁date ▁back ▁to ▁before ▁ 1 3 0 0 , ▁but ▁most ▁of ▁these ▁early ▁examples ▁are ▁from ▁manuscript s . ▁ ▁The ▁characteristics ▁of ▁a ▁turned ▁chair ▁are ▁that ▁the ▁frame ▁members ▁are ▁turned ▁cyl ind rical ▁on ▁a ▁lat he . ▁The ▁main ▁u pr ights ▁are ▁usually ▁heav ier ▁and ▁plain ly ▁turned , ▁the ▁l ighter ▁sp ind les ▁inf illing ▁between ▁them ▁are ▁more ▁decor atively ▁turned , ▁often ▁with ▁repeated ▁b ob bin ▁turning , ▁so ▁as ▁to ▁appear ▁as ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁balls , ▁be ads ▁or ▁b ails . ▁The ▁complexity ▁of ▁this ▁turning ▁var ies ▁widely , ▁and ▁is ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁guide ▁to ▁ident ifying ▁the ▁region ▁of ▁origin . ▁Some ▁ch airs