Routing through sections with copper traces

Does anyone have experience with routing through areas of PCBs with Cu traces running through them. Trying concept to design in functional "wing" portions to our main board in an effort to get 2 in 1 functional boards - a fully functional main PCB and the main PCB with wing for added functionality/analysis. We would cut off "wing" on boards where we want only the main board for product assembly. Initial effort was successful, but we did add a band of resistors to DNP in order to cut off signals through the traces in the routed section. Cross sectional view of cut looked good, no obvious "smearing" of copper which would result in shorts. Team now wants to do the same approach, but without the band of resistors that essentially cut off the routed traced from the main board so we would be routing through lines still fully connected to main PCB when cutting off wing section.

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