Abstract: A method of cladding a base plate of carbon steel, including the steps of plating by electroless deposition the faying surface of the plate slab, positioning a cladding plate, on the the plated faying surface, welding both plates together at three edges to form a seal, attaching a gas reservoir at the fourth side thus forming a sealed subassembly, evacuating the space formed in the subassembly between the two plates of water vapor and oxygen, heating the subassembly to about 1650.degree. to 2100.degree. F. thereby melting the bonding metal alloy, and hot rolling the heated assembly to metallically bond the cladding plate to the steel plate by means of the mechanism of liquid interface diffusion bonding.