Hi Phi, if you get a chance you should try making Concrete cells. a $4 bag of quickcrete will make thousands of cells and all you need to do is add water to it. The concrete already has some things like sodium silicate in it which helps to protect the cell but you can add Epsom salt to it to make it really tick. The concrete cells are a lot of fun and super cheap and easy to make.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUa1biXpxBc

 Thanks guys,It sure beats the dismal failures I had before.I have an empty 18 count egg carton now,plastic!I need to observe these two panels for a while.
I hope the presence of silica keeps the casimir plates open more than a month.triffid

Quote from: ibpointless2 on February 16, 2012, 09:54:21 PM
Hi Phi, if you get a chance you should try making Concrete cells. a $4 bag of quickcrete will make thousands of cells and all you need to do is add water to it. The concrete already has some things like sodium silicate in it which helps to protect the cell but you can add Epsom salt to it to make it really tick. The concrete cells are a lot of fun and super cheap and easy to make.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUa1biXpxBc

Hey IB, I've seen that vid before!
My current mix is actually just epsom salt and Durham's (mostly gypsum) and a little water. 
I'm actually 'charging' my two largest cells right now with a 6v 'lantern' battery on each one. I will leave them connected overnight and then take some readings in the morning hopefully (at connection and a few minutes later when they level out) then hook one of them up to the VOM tomorrow before I leave for work.
Note: DON'T try doing this unless you know adding voltage to your mix is safe!!! Salt Sub gives off chlorine gas when electrocuted... Other things could be worse so you've been warned. I'm no chemist...
I only say this because I think my current mix is 'safe' in this regard. At least I think it is... 
Itty bitty cell is at 0.57v again; It hit 0.82v when I hooked it up heh heh. Not as cold now I suppose...
Wax or parrafin seems like the best way to seal a cell to me. Bees make honey too!
Happy experimenting!
PC

Hey IB,


I thought you were the one who showed the water crystal discovery? Why is it you are just making the connection that all water in the crystals, like Epsoms salt, is exactly that. Crystalline Water. Oxygen is the catalyst but water, Pure crystalline water is the vehicle!


The water in the crystals, like epsoms salt, is very highly organized. Not like bulk water. The crystalline structure or real mass of the crystal is the matter, the shell or the the honey comb if you will. It acts much like a sponge and this is where it starts to get interesting.


I would say you are right about the newer crystalline structures be formed. A very conductive static generator that uses waters ability to be paramagnetic and be repelled by magnetic forces. Well it responds to electrical stimulation the same way. When you push water through a crystalline structure with force what kind of a reaction do you think you are gonna get? If the crystalline water is not evaporated or even oxidated then that water should last forever in the crustal structure. Even if you push that water around It should last forever. But that means using only crystalline water that is already in the epsoms. That will be your biggest donator of crystalline water. Using the alum along with the epsoms was a perfect idea. It gave huge stores of crystalline water for the newly created crystalline structure to use.


Alum is a beatiful crystal :  [size=78%]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpfxWkywmuM[/size]


This brings up more topics like base verses the 4 sides and the prism like effects they show. The base collects 4 sides of light. Also if the internal structure shows the same properties then the base will have 4 times the amount. Think about how the internal structure of the crystals are working and you will see that it is merely a multiplier of surface charges focused onto the base. When the crystals grow they grow from base to tip. From metal to electrolyte and they grow exponentially, surface area wise.


Keep going and you will see it.

@ Jbignes5
Thanks for the post! (I keep forgetting to get crystalized alum...)
Do you know if there are any adverse reactions/outgassings when adding voltage directly to alum?
PC
EDIT: So our ultimate 'dry' cell is actually very 'wet' inside the crystalline structure. It looks like alum will work as well or maybe better than epsom salt? Some ideal combination we're after??