So given the resistor you have across output and Adjust, whats the actually current the thing puts out (meter across adjust to power supply ground) without the pot in circuit?
reading a steady 60 mA through the 10-mA-resolution meter.
That is with R1 still a 980 Ohm resistor, and with the R2 load-simulation-pot removed completely.
EDIT: Ok this is interesting: I repeated this test with my other LM317's (I have 5 from the original store, and 2 from another store I just bought today), again with R1 at 980 Ohms and R2 removed, testing current across Adjust and power-supply-ground:
4 out of 5 from the original store are all giving me roughly 60 mA (of which the one I used in the test I uploaded here last night is one)
1 of those 5 is giving me roughly 30 mA. (I'll call this LM317-1)
2 out of 2 from the new store are also giving me roughly 30 mA. (I'll call these LM317-2 and LM317-3)
Obviously this at the very least means there's something going on with at least some of my LM317 units.
So I redid the test with R2 re-installed for mA between Adj and ground, and Volts across R1 and R2, for all 3 of the LM317's reading 30 mA, and with R1 at 980 Ohms and R2 at 22 Ohms, 100 Ohms, and at 218 Ohms:
LM317-1 with R2 at 22 Ohms: R1 17.7V , R2 0.8V , 30mA between Adj and ground
LM317-1 with R2 at 100 Ohms: R1 15.5V , R2 3.0V , 30mA between Adj and ground
LM317-1 with R2 at 218 Ohms: R1 12.7V , R2 5.8V , 20mA between Adj and ground
LM317-2 with R2 at 22 Ohms: R1 17.7V , R2 0.8V , 30mA between Adj and ground
LM317-2 with R2 at 100 Ohms: R1 15.5V , R2 3.0V , 30mA between Adj and ground
LM317-2 with R2 at 218 Ohms: R1 12.7V , R2 5.8V , 20mA between Adj and ground
LM317-3 with R2 at 22 Ohms: R1 17.7V , R2 0.8V , 30mA between Adj and ground
LM317-3 with R2 at 100 Ohms: R1 15.5V , R2 3.0V , 30mA between Adj and ground
LM317-3 with R2 at 218 Ohms: R1 12.7V , R2 5.8V , 20mA between Adj and ground
for reference, re-measured the LM317 from last night:
LM317-o with R2 at 22 Ohms: R1 17.2V , R2 1.2V , 60mA between Adj and ground
LM317-o with R2 at 100 Ohms: R1 13.6V , R2 4.9V , 40-50mA between Adj and ground
LM317-o with R2 at 218 Ohms: R1 10.3V , R2 8.2V , 40mA between Adj and ground
Lots of measurements, all the same confirmations. Clearly I'm getting V(R1)+V(R2) = 18.5V no matter what. I guess all LM317's are dropping just about exactly 1.0V?
Well, importantly... conclusion is even these 3 LM317's that read I(out) 30mA with no R2, already start reading I(out) 20mA with an R2 set to just 218 Ohms. Is it possible that 218 Ohms is already like, *way* more resistance than I should be getting in the colloidal silver cell? Obviously it would help here if I went and got yet another multimeter (3rd one now) to get some precise I(out) measurements... maybe I will do that tomorrow.. but first perhaps I will try simulating my electrolysis cell with the right ratio of electrolyte and measure the resistance across 1.5 inches of that. I'm sure that information is on this forum somewhere, guess I'll look for that tomorrow also.
I haven't heard your input on my idea of swapping my power supply for a few 9V batteries... do you think it's possible my issue is somehow my power supply? All I know about it is that it says 19.5V DC out on the back, and my multimeter(s) read 19.6V across hot and ground. Other than that maybe it could be the electricity running to my developing-nation-abode somehow?
If I get a chance in the next day or two I'm going to build up a circuit on a breadboard - have the same type you do - and see how it works.
I would seriously appreciate that.