kˈæslɚ wʌz ɹˈeɪzd ɪn fˈɔːɹt plˈeɪn, nˈuː jˈɔːɹk, ænd sˈɜːvd æz ɐn ɐpɹˈɛntɪs tə hɪz kˈʌzən, məʃˈiːnɪst ænd ɪnvˈɛntɚ tʃˈɑːɹlz ˈiː. lˈaɪp, fˈaʊndɚɹ ʌvðə sˈiː. ˈiː. lˈaɪp məʃˈiːn ʃˈɑːp ɪn sˈɪɹɐkjˌuːs, nˈuː jˈɔːɹk, fɹʌm wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi nˈaɪn tə wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti θɹˈiː.
Casler was raised in Fort Plain, New York, and served as an apprentice to his cousin, machinist and inventor Charles E. Lipe, founder of the C. E. Lipe Machine Shop in Syracuse, New York, from 1889 to 1893.