No time signature workflow recommendations

Hi, happy new year everyone.

I’m inserting a no-time signature section in an existing piece. I highlighted one empty measure in the piece, and then did the shift-R “open” to create the free time measure. It expanded into almost two pages of rests.
I’ve got the red stop bar inserted just before the already existing music that has a tine sig. I’m wondering might there be a safer or cleaner way to do this?
And then, because the no-time sig section won’t be two pages long, how might I get rid of all the extra empty staves?
(I am by no means an organized composer, and most of my queries for Dorico are put forth so I don’t make a mess of things. This is one of those instances. Thanks for your patience)

Change it to 4/4
Shift-B, -1000, Enter
Change back to open

cheers dan.

Isn’t SHIFT+R the Repeat Tool, and isn’t SHIFT+M the meter tool one normally uses to set a new time signature (or open meter)?

Sorry Derek, you’re right, my bad, that was a typo. I meant shift-M.

Thanks again Dan. Got this little passage done quickly.
I’m finally hitting my stride with Dorico. Composed a piece in ‘free time’ the other day, and it’s just incredible how good this program is. Thanks so much Daniel and crew.
I still often get stumped on something though. :sweat_smile: