Is it OK to use the AA Battery Holder mentioned in the link below having it partially disassembled? For example, the battery holder opens up into two parts. Would it be legal, for example, to take those two sections apart and use each side as a side of a claw? Obviously, we cannot put batteries in holder as AA batteries are not legal.
Yes, using the two halves of the AA Battery Holder separately would be legal. However, as an electrical component, further modification (such as cutting, bending, melting, etc) would be prohibited by R15a, quoted here for reference.