Why isn't my galvanic cell making enough voltage? I'm in kind of a pickle here. I made a galvanic cell of Lead and aluminium for a chemistry internal assessment but unfortunately, it didn't turn out so well and neither me nor my teacher has any clue why.
The E0 value of the cell is 1.53v. I got a maximum reading of 0.29v

If you don't have time to read here is what I think the sources of error could be:
1. I used filter paper as a salt bridge and I don't think it was thick enough to allow ions to flow through it.
2. I used around a 1M concentration of KCl to dip the salt bridge in.
3. I suspect either of the metals was not correct but this seems improbable as I got a voltage just not the correct one.
4. The solutions of AlNO3 and PbNO3 were kept in round-bottomed flasks with a glass cork in them for a few days before I decided to do the experiment.
5. I got a negative reading for the voltage which was weird.
6. I got a higher voltage reading only when I touched the aluminium rod to the salt bridge in the solution

I used the following procedure:


I made 0.01M, 0.1M, 0.25M and 0.5M solutions of aluminium nitrate and a 0.1M solution of lead nitrate (both well dissolved) from lab equipment.
I poured each of them into separate 50ml beakers. I then placed an aluminium rod (that was 50% submerged) into the AlNO3 beaker and a thin piece of lead (that was well sanded before each reading) that was fully submerged in PbNO3.
I connected each of the metals to a multimeter via alligator clips
I then prepared a salt bridge using 5x25cm strips of filter paper which were dipped in a solution of KCL of about 1M concentration. The filter strips were folded and stapled.
I then placed the salt bridge in both the beakers and conducted the experiments.


I'm not in school right now and I don't have time to conduct the experiment again as the assessment is due very soon.
Just keep in mind that Eo is determined under highly controlled conditions and concentrations. I sense two key problems here. The major problem is already stated above that the resistance of a wet filter paper must be high, and this is giving you lower voltage. Evaporation of water from the filter paper would make the situation worse. Since you are not repeating the experiment anyway, make sure to identify the causes of lower voltage. Secondly, both lead and aluminum nitrate tend to form hydroxides in water if you don't add little bit of acid in them. Did you notice that lead solutions were cloudy or they were clear and transparent?

As a side note, negative voltage reading of the battery just means that your connections of the lead are the other way round on the voltmeter. Test your voltmeter with a battery keeping the signs on the battery in your mind. Once you get a positive reading of a simple AAA cell you have correctly made the connections.