HELP please - how to find mom & pop (independent) gas sellers?

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I wanted to start (learning) welding, bought a used Miller 175 with a gas tank and everything for MIG welding. Being new to this, I discover that tanks cannot be filled so easily. Its an Air Liquide 16 type tank. Its the 7 by 33 inch tank, its the 3rd row here http://www.airgas.com/content/detail...=7000000000234Air Liquide says they cannot fill the tank, various reasons they gave...former owner might have leased it, they no longer carry the type 16 tanks, etc. They offered to sell/lease a new tank, thats when I discover how much $$$ these pieces of steel cost! Not possible to contact seller, in any case I doubt he knew as he was sharing his garage shop with others.I just want to get this thing filled and get to work,  I am in Toronto area, Canada, what can I do?? I though I will just have to find a gas seller, independent type, mom/pop. How do I go about finding a supplier, the yellow pages and web searches just brought me to the big companies who only refill their own bottles, well you all know this stuff anyways.
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Reply:They said around $240, I think after that I just keep paying for the gas. I don't want to let this cylinder go to waste if I can save it, both the money and material wasted.
Reply:As far as finding small shops, that greatly depends on your area. Around me all the small guys have been bought out by the larger companies and are pretty much non existent. Those that do still exist, usually get their cylinders from one of the larger guys, so there isn't much of a difference.Others here seem to have less issues with smaller independents. My guess is that many are in more rural areas where it doesn't pay for the big guys to move in at this point.I used to have a bunch of larger owner cylinders that I'd get filled thru an independent. After they got sold to one of the bigger companies, I was able to occasionally swap one of mine for a "named" cylinder thru where I worked. I'm able to exchange those simply because they have the company name on the neck ring and I now have an account with them. As long as I have a cylinder with their name on it, and have an account, no one asks any questions. Of course it probably doesn't hurt that I make a point of taking care of the counter guy on occasion. A Christmas card with a gift card or $20 in it goes a long ways towards getting decent treatment when I need it..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Originally Posted by MerlysysI though I will just have to find a gas seller, independent type, mom/pop. How do I go about finding a supplier, the yellow pages and web searches just brought me to the big companies who only refill their own bottles, well you all know this stuff anyways.