I swore I would not do this, but reading the thread above put fire under my lazy butt.

Addressing the issue of broken nails. It is purely the combination of
bad technique and steel strings. How so? To begin the style 'Clawhammer' was used exclusively on gut strings, so no matter how hard a player thwacked, the nails would never wear out. Now with Steel the tale is not so happy. In one days 'hardish' playing, in the wrong
position, one can almost draw blood from your poor fingers.

Moving the hand over the end of the Fretboard and away from the stiffer Bridge position does two things, one - the sound softens and - two ones nails last.

Secondly - I laughed at the idea when first I heard about it - turning
two standard blugrass finger picks back to front will both provide a
protected if clumsier technique and boost your normal learning curve by 100 percent. Yes it does work, if I can do it then
anyone can. I had to practice using the 'jello and wait' method of
erudication for banjoists.

Banjoist's Erudications
One practices about half an hour a day - NO MORE - but every day for
upto 6 months. Apparently our bodies grow nerve tissue when we learn
'motor' skills and that is why it takes so long no matter whether we
practice one hour or 12 hours a day.

Strings
It is a myth that ligher is better for this style, since all the pros
I have seen - a bunch, use the heavier and it is far harder to get a 'rhythm' out of flimsier lights. Combining a good setting to the tension hoop together with medium guage say Vegas, gives a nice firm bounce which I prefer for the standards such as Molly Hare, Black Eyed Suzie, Soldiers Joy. In fact I think most tunes except songs - oddly here it makes no difference since most of the time all we need to do is frail - I can see no reason why I would bother with the hassles of lighter strings.

A foundation lick for the Clawhammer Student - origin Granpa Jones.

Place the finger next the thumb on the D string, rest the Fingernail lightly on the string. Place the flesh of the thumb on the B string.

Now sound the D moving down off the string
then 'flip' the thumb OUT off of the B. As the thumb comes off and out reset the finger onto the D string and wait. Place the flesh of the thumb onto the bell or 5th string.

Now sound the D with the finger nail follow that with the thumb off
and out from the 5th string.

When your fingers are used to this, use a metronome to tidy up the timings - VERY VERY VERY important. You should be sounding a string on each click of the nome, IOW the spacing is equal.

Banjoes and Clawhammer, any old banjo stung with gut will do fine. Later when one is an expert then a Vega,or Bacon, or Stuart or copy of one is a great instrument. Be ready to spend a bag of money since these often make 3 thousand dollars or more.

My very first tune which I failed to learn was 'Old Jawbone'
but now that I play lots of other tunes I can sound very convincing, I must say though the first part is very simple so a novice
can get it.