We have seen beautifully finished dining room tables with a catalyzed varnish finish that is flat and very natural looking. We are in the process of re-working an older(20 years old) short cabinet we had made with a butcher block top. We have already cut the top down to size(2 ft x 5 ft), flipped it over and are ready to rout the upper and lower edges to give it a smoother look. We will then stain it and finish it. My husband has alwyas used regular varnish but this catalyzed varnish, at least on the table tops we saw, looked gorgeous. Everything I have read says the best way to apply it is as a spray. We are not set up to do that. Can it be applied with a brush or are we biting off more than we can chew? He has a small woodworking shop and has stained and varnished all the new windows in our house so is very familiar with working with varnish.