It really is amazing how you can drop a nut, bolt, or small part on the floor, and it completely disappears. Small springs are the worst. Springs have a knack of traveling to unknown places. I have learned to take something apart that has a spring, by taking it apart inside a plastic bag.
I disassembled some something many years
ago sitting on the living room couch mid December.
Should have taken 5 minutes maximum to
open it and check or put a drop of oil in,
or whatever I was doing, and a small spring
went flying out and dissapeared.
I probably spent 45 minutes crawling around
on hands and knees looking, but finally
gave it up and put whatever the thing was
away. After Christmas taking the tree
down, low and behold of course the
little spring was right in the middle of the
thing. What are the odds? . . .