Cane reduction: Rolling a Cane
 
They tell you not to do it, that it will distort your cane for sure; but I'm here to tell you that you can successfully reduce a cane by rolling it.  Here's the trick - to effectively reduce a cane by rolling it you must be aware of where you're applying pressrure as you roll it.  What you want to do is apply pressure to the top of the cane and no where else.  Keep your hand leve and push down as you roll.  Most people have a tendency to "push" the cane as they roll it - applying pressure to the side of the cane, which is a no-no and will certainly distort the cane!
 
Slicing Canes
 
The best results for slicing a cane is to first freeze it!  You can also buy a piece of marble to freeze it on and then cut the cane on it.  The frozen marble will keep your cane frozen longer.

Use a tissue blade to cut your cane, especially if you want very thin slices.  Keep all your extra blades oiled as they have a tendency to rust over time.

Curing Polymer Clay

Curing temperature and time: Polymer clay should be cured at 265 to 275 degrees.  Any cooler and the clay will not harden completely.  Just remember that polymer clay will brown at 300 degrees.  Baking time depends on the size of your piece.  The standard recommendation is 15 minutes per 6mm (1/4") thickness.  On average 30 minutes is recommended for most pieces.  If you're curing thin cane slices, 3 minutes usually does it.  You can't overbake polymer clay!  If your pieces are browning, then the temperature in your oven was too hot.

Ovens: Not all ovens provide consistent even heat - in fact, most ovens don't.  Most ovens let the temperature fall and then "burn" up to temperature.  The "burns" can be very intense!  Purchasing an oven thermometer is probably your best way to know what's going on in your oven.  You may also want to line the bottom of your oven with ceramic tiles or fire bricks to help keep a contant temperature.  If your oven heats from the top, you may even want to rig up some kind of defector or tent.

Some Comments On Translucent Clay
 
Tranlucent clay browns faster than colored polymer clay.  Do some tests on baking time and temperature on your particular oven before curing a cherished piece 

Immediately after your piece comes out of the oven, dunk it in icewater!  The fast cooling seems to really help with clairty and color brightness.