Not true, In the glass work I do , we use a electric crucible to melt borocilicate glass and pull our own tubing. It's small, works 20lbs or more of molten glass, reaches temperatures of over 2500 degrees, and is used by Hippys everyday. Compact smelters are probable, and can run off of electricity or lp gas, I'm guessing, I am too lazy to look it all up. I'm guessing a smelter and a crucible are damn near the same thing, a superhot furnace to melt and contain some kind of molten matter till It's time to be cooled.
Just my opinion.
....the only thing the dead know, is its better to be alive..