If the input was around 800 watts, would this suffice for a general, rather large area meltdown as seemingly described? I am assuming, based upon Mr. Smith's response that this was not a small localized explosive event, but a true temperature based melting over a larger area, thus the "puddle". It seems that insulation is not used in these experiments, so the heat surely comes from interior generated sources that have to reach the level to melt and is not an accumulated event such as an "oven".
Hi. you cannot melt an uninsulated dogbone with 1kW -otherwise all those old fashioned 1kW per element radiant electric heaters would fail. In fact, I don't think you can melt a dogbone with ordinary NiChrome or Kanthal heater coils at all. They would both fail at around 1500C max, leaving you at least 200C short of a puddle.