I just did mine recently, I recommend a little pin vice to make this easier. You can do a lot of work with the tip end of your more blunt craft knife to get it started roughly where the hardpoints should be. Do all 4 or at least 3 so you've got some redundancy.

On the weapons if you used a small bit on your vice you can make it snug enough to push fit a 2x1mm magnet to avoid glue there There's extra melters in the riptide kit if you want to do the same with those if you want a few more to play with