All right. I am about to talk crazy, but stick with me! 2x8s are $8.67. I argue that I can make my own Tstud for... $8.67.
Cut out the black part and use a router to reduce the crossmember to 2x2 (or 1.5x1.5). There would still be thermal bridging, but 2.25 square inches per linear foot.
I call it the Shtud!
Why not Hstud?
Histud?
Hustud?
Aychestud?
How would you pronounce that?
[There is a good chance I would only make sch... at least at first]
Okay, how do I make [and pronounce] a Xtud?
I present to you the Xtud!
Their dowels seem to be at a 45° angle, except they are at an angle in two dimensions. They are thinking with triangles and stuff!
Having the crossmembers at an angle makes that part 40% longer, reducing the thermal bridging. If I just made an X it would be a more complicated H with a 2" thermal bridge.
Imagine the crossmembers are 1/2" thick, separated by half an inch. Half an inch of insulation wouldn't do much, but it would do more than an H!
How the heck would I make one?!
I could use a router to make the X, put a wider bit on a 1/2" spacer to create a channel in the middle, and then chisel it out?
I would want to make a 2' section for a proof of concept and maybe patent it.
Not everyone has a patent!
If I made a sandwich of 5/8" and 3/8" plywood it would be negligibly thicker than 1.5". That would be vastly easier than carving a board, but it would not be as impressive.
With much enthusiasm I present to the world the kstud. Yay:
All right. Let's say that I use something like that instead of Honey-do Carpenter's metal studs.
It was 115.0°F (46°C) in Phoenix on July 16th, 2019. The low was 89.1 F (32°C)