This was too much to pass off. The author took 4 palm sanders, used 220 grit sandpaper, put them together on a stick to make a floor sander. It “looks” like it works. For under $150 its cheaper than renting a sander ($100 was the min I found for a day).
http://hackaday.com/2015/03/11/james-and-the-giant-floor-sander/
Update: found a nice write-up on converting a floor polisher to do this too
http://www.instructables.com/id/Sand-and-refinish-your-hardwood-floors-with-a-conv/?ALLSTEPS