So these cells are about 800 times weaker than a regular battery maybe 1600 times weaker.So greater mass,better internal connections between crystal and metal electrodes might improve the power more.triffid

I think I got encouraging results.I will have to wait a while to see how the new cells do.I unhooked cells 5 and 6 leaving them to themselves.
The new vitamin c cell with silica in it might be the way to go in the future.Use wax not starch to seal them after 48 hours. I used spring valley
vitamin C (1000 mg).Silica was number 5 on the list of ingredients.So I think its the fifth most abundant chemical in the pill.I hope to find something with more silica in it.triffid

Several sites on the internet like this one:
http://www.csun.edu/science/ref/equipment/acquisition/common.htm
can source inexpensive chemicals.

Also:
Silica Gel Packets
Silica gel is used as a dessicant and often come in paper packets or plastic cylinders. They are used to absorb moisture with leather, medication, and in some food packaging. Silica is considered "chemically and biologically inert" upon ingestion. However, with ingestion, it is possible to see signs of GI upset, such as nausea, vomiting, and inappetence. Additional problems could occur is the silica gel was used as a dessicant in medication, since silica could possibly absorb qualities of the medication.

Wikipedia - Vitamin C: Ascorbic Acid
As a mild reducing agent, ascorbic acid degrades upon exposure to air, converting the oxygen to water. The redox reaction is accelerated by the presence of metal ions and light. It can be oxidized by one electron to a radical state or doubly oxidized to the stable form called dehydroascorbic acid.

Thanks B_rads for that great list of materials.I went ahead and made five more vitamin C cells.I did not crush the last vitamin c tablet but left it  intact to see what happens.48 hours from now they all get sealed with wax.triffid

Hello everyone,
Some interesting results! I got up this morning and my itty bitty cell was pegged at 0.56v. It dipped to .55 at my last post and was back up at .56 when I looked again! And this morning. And when I got home tonight. It sits at .57v now but I'm thinking that is due to it's proximity to the stove (where I just cooked dinner)... 
So, it looks like it is holding fairly steady. I'm gonna unhook it and take some readings of some of my other cells then hook it back up before I call it a night to see if it will stay at .56 all night again. When I first hook it up the cell reads over .7 so I will try and make a point of seeing where it starts at.
I also did a sea salt cell last night with the Durham's, will post later tonight on the 24hr readings.
I am going to have to figure out some sort of storage for my ongoing 'project' so I'm leaning towards one of those 'nuts and bots' holder things since my cells are all pretty small. And I also need a ledger of some kind to keep records in... I figure after a week the readings should be fairly stable?
Will post more on that when I figure it out heh heh...
Got an aluminum tube today but I will probably save that for experiments this weekend.
Of course I had to take my daughter's cat to the vet tonight so new supplies are gonna have to wait... Sigh.
Ah well, life keeps happening... Til later then.
Happy experimenting everyone!
PC

Evening addendum: Ran out of my second bottle of sub salt so I used them as 'cases' for my cells tonight. The mix I did was 1/2 cup epsom salt, 1/2 cup Durham's, and a little water. I used part of the cap/lid so the 1/4" aluminum rod sits in the middle of the electrolyte and the poltruded carbon sits off to the side (where the pour hole is heh heh).
I think that that recipe would work for one container but dry it filled up two containers 3/4 full...
Anyhow, my itty bitty cell is now holding at 0.57 volts. Quite the little workhorse for being around an inch long!
Science is fun! Cheers fellas...