Depending on your expectations, you can surf (okay, more like dog-paddle) the web with the 180. Heck, you can even do it on the Plus, so the 180 will feel speedy in comparison. Just don't ask it to render media-rich pages correctly (if at all). Netscape 2.2 runs just fine, and wannabe68k is very fast (but text only).

As to recelling, removing the old cells is easy -- just cut them out. When getting new cells, look for the ones that already have tabs welded onto them. There is no serious danger of explosion; if you overheat them while soldering, an internal valve opens, causing the cell to die somewhat quickly, but not explosively. To avoid damaging the cells, work quickly.