Ac rod for 316 l ss

You didn't say what your making, gives me more ideas to suggest, but stick welding 16ga SS is not an easy task and have it look decent. Second strike is AC stick welding SS. Very few if any electrode choices and in 3/32 dia. I would have to look deep into the subject before I would recomend AC stick on SS. DC stick welding SS is tuff at best as SS electrodes splatter alot, very sensitive to arc length and very easy to entrap slag.

Thrid strike is the 316 series SS is some funny SS to weld. It doesn't like some gases, pure Ar for a cover gas as a example. The 304 and 308 series is alot easier to weld.

If AC is all you have, then let me think about it a bit more and do some research.

Do you have Oxy/Act available with small brazing tips, OO size or smaller?

T_Bone

Good, the round shape will help alot with distorion. Since Tig is available that would be my first choice. You'll need to use 75AR 25HE, 75HE 25AR or any of the tri-mix gasses. You can use thin strips of your scrap 316 drop off as a filler metal.

I would tack weld with 309 if you want to use stick. For tacking just make them small. The 309 rod is good for dissimular metals, SS to black, etc.

Since your going to finish with Tig, I would braze tack it with Oxy/Act, as it will be cleaner. Use a small neutral flame again using scrap 316 as a filler rod. If you want to try something new then I would finish weld by brazing. You will be amazed at the weld puddle control you have and is very close to Tig welding if you get the low heat set correct.
The heat zone can be just as small as Tig if you have the correct tip size and flame temperature.

Tip, most people tend to use to hot of flame with brazing. It should take about the same amount of heat and time to molten puddle as Tig would.

T_Bone