Abstract: An alloy of nickel and aluminum, which also may contain varying percentages of intermetallics, in the form of a wire or rod is sprayed in an electric arc spray gun to form a self-bonding coating on a smooth, clean substrate. Alternatively an alloy of nickel and titanium, which also may contain varying percentages of intermetallics, in the form of a wire may be similarly electric arc sprayed to effect a self-bonding coating on a substrate. The nickel aluminum alloy and possibly intermetallics or the nickel titanium alloy and possibly intermetallics are supplied as a wire feed to the electric arc spray gun, and when heated in the electric arc of the spray gun and sprayed onto a substrate will form a coating that has a high degree of tenacity to many metal substrates and also has a moderate degree of hardness, low R.sub.c, high R.sub.b. The self-bonding is attributed to the formation of superheated liquid in the arc process and the affinity of that superheated liquid to iron, nickel, aluminum, etc.