Jig works like extra hands for mitered piece assembly

When building an octagonal frame for an outdoor ring-toss game, I struggled to hold the mitered pieces together during assembly. So I came up with this simple holding jig.

I made the jig to join two segments at one end and a pair of two-segment assemblies at the other. After building the base from MDF and 2x4s, I held two segments together as they would be when assembled—with an end against one of the outer stops—and marked the opposite end of the assembly on the base. Then, I attached one inner stop on that line. After repeating the process for a four-segment assembly at the opposite end, the jig was complete. Now, when I go to assemble the workpieces, they're fully contained, making assembly much easier.
—Robert Frost, O'Fallon, Ill.