I decided to press on and lacquer my baseboards even though I haven't cut the back box holes in them yet. I figure it's easier to put paper tape on them to mark them once the lacquer is fully dried, than it is to try and mark something that's almost as dark as the marks. I'd hate to ruin my boards by running my jigsaw along what I thought was my pencil line but turned out to be a flaw in the wood or a piece of grain or something.
So now the boards are sitting in the basement with their first coat of lacquer drying. In about three hours I can run some fine sandpaper over them and give them a second coat. By morning they will be ready to be marked and cut.
Another advantage of putting tape on them is that the tape can help prevent chipout, although in fairness that's more of a problem on the bottom face, which isn't an issue because it will be against the wall.
The rate I'm going I might even get this room finished before the end of the month. Then all it needs is an occupant
