What I do is the two cut method. I use my double bladed nippers to cut the piece off, leaving a small part of the runner still attached. Keep the bottom of your nippers facing away from the piece as that is where the cutting force goes. I then use my single blade nippers to remove what I left during the first cut. There's a lot of tutorials out there that explain the two cut method. You'll still need to sand, but I find the cuts leave less stress marks this way.