An article, such as a hardfaced wearpart, includes a substrate, a sheet metal shell connected to the substrate to define a cavity between the surface of the substrate and the shell, and a composite material filling the cavity and forming a coating on at least a portion of the surface of the substrate, the composite material including a hard particulate material infiltrated with a metallic brazing material. The shell may be connected to the substrate by welding or brazing to the substrate, and may wear away during use. The shell and the substrate may be used as part of an assembly for producing the article, where the shell is used as a mold for forming the composite material by filling the shell with the hard particulate material and subsequently infiltrating with the brazing material.