Wear-resistant, hard surfaces of high-speed tool steel were synthesized on mild steel specimens. Discs of mild steel were subjected to carburization to a depth of 2.5 mm. Thin strips of tungsten were spot welded and the specimen was subjected to electron beam surface melting. The beam power was varied from 60 kV, 10 mA to 60 kV, 20 mA. Oscillation frequency and the specimen translation velocity were kept at 1000 Hz and 2 cm s(-1), respectively. The width of the modified layer was 10 mm while the depth varied from 0.7-2.3 mm. A concentration of up to 30 wt% tungsten could be achieved in the surface layer by varying the thickness of the foil spot welded prior to electron-beam melting. Tungsten concentration was uniform along the depth. The hardness achieved in the as-solidified layer was uniform along the depth and reached 800 H-v. The reprocessing of the alloyed layer with the beam promoted fine carbide precipitation which then resulted in refinement of martensite plates.