So long as you're very careful, I can't see why you wouldn't be able to open up the batteries, gently remove the guts from the cases, put the plastic cases back together (glue them back together most likely) and reinstall the empty cases in the machine. If you want something to weigh the machine down, you could probably glue something onto the inside of one of the plastic pieces to provide some weight. (better if its made of non-conductive material, for obvious reasons)